Helping hedgehogs in South London

‘Highway holes’ were made between gardens running along a railway line, creating connections to the local Dacres Wood Nature Reserve. The sighting of a poorly hedgehog in the reserve, found outside during the day, spurred neighbours on and bolstered enthusiasm for action.
 
Resident Tim Lund, who volunteers at Dacres Wood and encouraged neighbours to connect their gardens, said “Sadly, this hedgehog was badly injured, and had to be put down, but it’s amazing to realise we do have this wild animal quietly living in the same space as us”


In addition to connecting gardens, special hedgehog activities were laid on in the reserve during the week. Ema Felix organised an event for children and their parents.
 
“I set up two hedgehog trails, one for the younger children with pictures to spot and match to the pictures on their spotter sheets, and a trail for older children with a hedgehog quiz,” says Ema.  Both trails were full of hedgehog facts and children received a small prize once they'd completed their trails.  Children were also invited to make their own hedgehogs out of clay and sticks. “We had a lot of fun and it was great opportunity for people to think about what they can do to encourage hedgehogs,” says Ema.  

Tim says the activity helped to raise awareness of the needs of hedgehogs and the cause of local nature conservation more generally. “Dacres Wood, originally the back garden of a large Victorian villa, but now surrounded by houses and gardens, is one of a series of small nature reserves along the main railway into London Bridge. Along with the embankments and back gardens they form a valuable wild life corridor.  Our reserve is managed to encourage amphibians, and we have healthy populations of frogs, toads and newts.  At another, even further in to the centre of London, there are slowworms.”
 
For more about Dacres Wood, visit: www.dacreswood.org.uk