Hedgehog Week has arrived and to support these cute little creatures, which are sadly in huge decline, we will be donating a % of profits to The British Hedgehog Preservation Society from any of our Tommy and Lottie hedgehog prints, t shirts or gift sets sold for the whole of May 2017.
Nature and wildlife have a profound effect on our health, well being as well as the ecosystem. We love hedgehogs and believe in introducing the awareness to children which is why we are sharing some top tips on how your could help the hedgehogs and encourage them into your garden.
To help the hedgehogs and encourage them into your gardens we have listed some top tips.
- Create a wild corner in your garden which will offer shelter, protection and food for hedgehogs and other wildlife.
- Avoid using pesticides and slug pellets in your garden. Not only do these harm the hedgehogs but also damage the food chain.
- Provide a shallow dish of fresh water and food such as meat based cat or dog food or chopped unsalted peanuts, especially during long dry spells.
- Make or buy a hedgehog home, it may be used as a hibernation site for the winter months or as a nesting box for a mummy hedgehog and her hoglets in the warmer months.
- Make sure hedgehogs have easy access in and out of your garden by having a 13cm x 13cm gap in your boundary wall or fence allowing hedgehogs to pass through.
- Check for hedgehogs before strimming or mowing.
- Dispose of litter. Every year hedgehogs get injured or trapped in rubbish.
- Check bonfires before they are lit as these are a perfect home for a hedgehog and other wildlife.
- Hedgehogs are good swimmers but can get trapped in ponds or pools with sheer sides. Keep water levels up and provide a gently sloping edge or place half submerged rocks in the water.
- Take care on roads, hedgehogs are nocturnal so are often seen at night. A hedgehogs natural defence is to roll up into a ball – this is no match for a motor vehicle!
With busy lives and technology taking over it is easy to forget the beauty of the outside world and appreciate the importance of nature is for us and for future generations to enjoy, protect and cherish.