Hedgehog Friendly Garden

FROM CHRIST’S THORN TO BRITAIN’S FAVOURITE MAMMAL 

The Latin name, ‘Erinaceus’, also means ‘Christ’s Thorn or ‘Jerusalem Thorn’. Over the years they have popped up in some classic literature – Shakespeare mentions then in several of his plays, Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland struggled using them as croquet balls, and Beatrix Potter celebrated her affection for one of her own pet hedgehogs as Mrs. Tiggywinkle. 

In 2016 the hedgehog was voted Britain’s Favourite Mammal claiming 36% of the votes in a survey by the Royal Society of Biology. Hedgehogs are officially ‘cute’, seen on mugs, tee-shirts and greetings cards. Finally, after 15 million years they have also become of great interest to scientists studying how mechanism of hibernation might be of benefit in recovering from injuries or operations, or even deep space travel.

AT BIRKDALE WE’RE HELPING CREATE A HEDGEHOG HIGHWAY 

While hedgehogs have few natural predators, human activity hasn’t been kind to Mrs. Tiggywinkle and her spiny friends. Intensive farming and pesticides have had a devastating effect on their number. Road traffic has further reduced their scope. 

The happy truth is that hedgehogs have become an urban garden creature, much loved by those who grow vegetables. But at a time of fruitfulness on the allotment, when our snuffling friends are stocking up on food reserves for the hibernation to come, we need to make sure they can get around.  

That’s why we’re supporting the Hedgehog Street initiative, which helps give hedgehogs access between gardens through specially cut hedgehog highway holes we’ve introduced into one of our Vento Panels. We’ve also produced a video to show how easy it is to cut a hedgehog hole into other fencing materials. That means they never have to risk crossing the road again!