Ways to help hedgehogs

A popular blog here at Save Stamps relates to stamps to help hedgehogs.  

So I thought you might be interested to hear about Hedgehog Street.

Hedgehog Street is a campaign to help the hedgehog in the UK and ensure this most loved little animal remains a common part of British life.

Like so many of our countryside wildlife, hedgehogs have declined in a major way in the last  10 years.  According to Hedgehog Street, we've lost about a third of them in the last decade.  But why?

Why hedgehogs are in decline...

According to Hedgehog Street, hedgehogs are in decline for these reasons...

• The destruction of hedgerows to create larger fields
• The use of chemicals which could mean fewer insects and bug prey for hedgehogs
• There are more badgers around - badgers can unroll and kill hedgehogs
• There's more traffic and roads
• Changes to our climate in the summer could mean hedgehogs come out of hibernation when there's less food about for them

There are now 30,000 Hedgehog Champions, all helping hedgehogs, and you can join them through the Hedgehog Street campaign.   There are half a million hectares of garden in the UK and hedgehogs love gardens, so all our gardens are vital in the work to help hedgehogs. 

Here's what you do to get involved:

Pledge to make a hole in your garden boundary - then go to Hedgehog Street and map it.  Over 1,000 holes have been mapped already

You can register on Hedgehog Street to become a Hedgehog Champion - that will give you access to lots of resources to help you help hedgehogs.  You can also tell your friends, neighbours, work colleagues - everyone you know - to see if they can also get involved.

And you can watch this video to get more ideas and just generally find out how you can help

You can also make a donation to Hedgehog Street to help the team continue with their wider conservation work to help hedgehogs.  Hedgehog Street is part of a wider effort to help hedgehogs run by the People's Trust for Endangered Species and the British Hedgehog Preservation Society. 

Go wild for wildlife in your garden this Wild About Gardens Week!

They say charity begins at home, and this week, it's Wild About Gardens Week.   It's organised by the RHS and the Wildlife Trusts.

There's lots we can all do to help wildlife from home, as well as collecting stamps. 

9 Actions we can all take to help wildlife in our gardens include:

1.  Feeding the birds - you can buy bird food and have it delivered from many companies and charities online, including the RSPB, Garden Bird, Garden Wildlife Direct,  Birds and Bees and Sutton Seeds to name a few.

Peer REALLY closely & you'll see a bee buzzing about on this cat nip -
I know it's not the best photo, but it gives me so much pleasure to know the wildlife are enjoying my plants...
and to know that something I've planted...has actually grown!!!!!

2.  Planting flowers and plants to encourage wildlife

3,  Keeping our hedges so that they can act as wildlife corridors and give wildlife somewhere to nest and rest

4.  Leaving a bit of the garden in a bit of mess - perhaps a corner or a run.  Cut back on tidying up!

5.  Having a source of water for visiting wildlife to drink from

6.  Creating a pond, if we've got the room, or a bug mansion, or a mini stone wall - the Wild About Gardens has several ideas of things you can do over a weekend to help wildlife

7.  Taking part in the Big Garden Birdwatch in January (in 2015 it's 24-25 January - you don't need to do this is in your garden, you can also go to a local park and record the birds you see from there)

8.  Make a log shelter for the insects - it doesn't have to be big or grand. Or build a bee hotel or plant a tree

9.  Feed your visitors!  Feed the wildlife and they will come... Here are some things to feed animals such as hedgehogs and badgers

10. Find out about the animals who visit your garden.  The Wild About Gardens website has lots of info. 

11. Encourage children to get active in the garden and make a home for wildlife.  Give them the chance to give something back.  Watching wildlife and seeing who you can spot can be a great family activity!

Your efforts don't need to be perfect...the wildlife won't worry if your flowers don't come up to Chelsea Flower show standard.   They just want us all to give it a go and get active in our gardens for them.