For those who don’t already know, we are currently in the middle of Hedgehog Awareness Week. It’s a time of year dedicated to preserving our prickly little friends.
In Glasgow, this week coincides with a larger project by a charity called The Conservation Volunteers (TCV), who are calling on Glaswegians to help them keep track of the ‘hog population. The appeal, which runs from April 2019 until June 2020, is funded by The British Hedgehog Preservation Society.
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The Glasgow HogWatch aims to monitor and map the current hedgehog population with the help of volunteers. In particular, they are calling for people to become Hedgehog Champions.
Hedgehogs travel around one mile each night through gardens and parks to find food and search for a mate. Sadly, the hedgehog population is declining and it is important that schemes such as this exist to track changes to their habitat and lifestyles.
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Glaswegians are encouraged to submit hedgehog sightings to TCV to help create a national database. Anyone in Glasgow who sees a prickly friend, should report the sighting to kirsty.crawford@tcv.org.uk.
Anyone who spots a hedgehog is encouraged to submit the date of the sighting, the address, postcode or grid reference it was spotted and and whether it is alive, dead or roadkill.
For Glaswegians who want to go one step further, TCV are also recruiting Hedgehog Champions. These people will be given access to extra resources to help spread the word about hedgehogs and their safety.
More information can be found here.
Glasgow Live has a community group dedicated to animals of all shapes and sizes - and their owners! Join the conversation now on Glasgow Loves Pets - and remember to share adorable photos of your furry friends so they have a chance of being our cover star for the month.
