A LUDLOW based national charity is behind a week devoted to helping one of the UK’s most endangered species.

Hedgehog Awareness Week is organised by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and takes place every year. It aims to highlight the problems hedgehogs face and how to help them.

This year the charity is asking people to ‘Think Hedgehog!’ Look at the garden or greenspace as well as the local park, school grounds, and imagine how useful or dangerous it might be for a hedgehog.

There are a minefield of hazards.

Poisons and pesticides that could directly harm hedgehogs and destroy their food chain; uncovered drains, hedgehogs can fall into these and become stuck so make sure they are covered up; litter is a problem for all wildlife; netting can become entangled in hedgehog spines, make sure sports nets are put away and garden netting is at a height that hedgehogs can safely pass under.

Always carefully check for hedgehogs before mowing, strimming or lighting a bonfire pile that they might have made a nest in.

But as well as removing hazards, there is a lot that can be done to improve the habitat.

Hedgehog highways are important to allow access to more habitat; they are just 13cm x 13cm square gaps in the bottom of boundary walls and fences to ensure hedgehogs can get in and out easily.

Feeding stations, offer water and meaty cat or dog food for hedgehogs in a feeding station to help keep the food safe for hedgehogs.

Log piles, leaf piles or wild corners and edges will attract natural food and offer shelter for hedgehogs.

Ponds or pools are great for wildlife but there must be escape routes, a sloping edge, ramp or half-submerged rock for hedgehogs to scramble out on.

Hedgehog homes can be made or purchased. Information is available on the preservation society website.

These small actions can help create and link fantastic habitat for hedgehogs.

BHPS is urging everyone to become a Hedgehog Champion for their area at Hedgehog Street, a project run by BHPS and People’s Trust for Endangered Species.

Join more than 120,000 champions by signing up for free at www.hedgehogstreet.org BHPS is hoping to raise £2,000 during Hedgehog Awareness Week 2023. Donate to the 2023 #hedgehogweek appeal at: www.justgiving.com/campaign/HAW23 To join BHPS as a supporter costs £7.50 a year for an individual in the UK, or £12.50 for a family.