We were saddened, but not surprised, to read that, according to a BBC Gardeners’ World survey, almost half of British people have never seen a hedgehog in their garden (Report, 29 February). The population has declined by a third in urban areas and by half in rural ones since 2000 (State of Britain’s Hedgehogs 2015 report).
A big part of the problem is connectivity. If a hedgehog cannot get into your garden, you are unlikely to see one there. The British Hedgehog Preservation Society and the People’s Trust for Endangered Species have joined forces on a project called Hedgehog Street that is calling for homeowners to ensure there are 13cm x 13cm gaps at the bottom of boundary fences and walls to enable hedgehogs to move through the landscape. We have recruited almost 38,000 “hedgehog champions” to date who help to spread the word. To find out more visit www.hedgehogstreet.org.
You can also log sightings of live hedgehogs or roadkill and plot the hedgehog hole you make at www.bighedgehogmap.org.
Fay Vass
British Hedgehog Preservation Society
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