Hedgehog Awareness Week 2023 Tuesday 2 – Monday 8 May

Hedgehog Awareness Week is a national campaign where people across the country are
encouraged to make space for our favourite prickly pal, hedgehogs, in their gardens.
Hedgehog Awareness Week is supported by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society
(BHPS) and Peoples Trust for Endangered Species (PTES). These organisations are
working nationally to help one of our favourite mammals survive into the future.

Hedgehogs in Britain have undergone a long historic decline, with only around 1 million left
in the UK. They are an important indicator species, which means their population numbers
reflect how well wider ecosystems are doing and the health of the local environment in
general.

Most recent reports show clear differences between urban and rural hedgehog population.
In urban areas, hedgehog numbers show a stable population that might be recovering,
highlighting the importance of gardens, green spaces and local action for securing a future
for them in these areas.

In stark contrast, rural populations remain low and in the last two decades, continued to
decline by between a third and three-quarters nationally.

We can all help hedgehogs in our local areas by making our gardens wildlife and
hedgehog friendly, leaving the right food out for them and encouraging other people to do
the same.

Let them into your garden – simply make a 13cm square gap somewhere along your
garden boundary, if you can make more than one, that's even better.