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Hedgehog Awareness Day at Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden

Published date: October 2019

Hedgehog Awareness Day at Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden

Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden in South Walsham, Norwich is hosting a drop-in family event in aid of Hodmedod‘s Hedgehog Support, whose aim is to make a positive difference in helping to stop the decline of hedgehogs in Norfolk.

Hedgehog numbers are declining and this awareness day at Fairhaven aims to highlight the problems hedgehogs face and provide lots of information as to how we can all help hedgehogs in our region. Making spaces for hedgehogs to live in our gardens, creating a log pile or wild area that will provide tasty creepy crawlies for them to feast on, and positioning a formal hedgehog home, are all simple ways to help these declining creatures.  

Hodmedod’s Hedgehog Support will be having a stand at Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden on Hedgehog Awareness Day – Saturday 19th October 2019 from 11:00 am - 3:30 pm.

Visit the event to learn all about hedgehogs and how you can help them in your garden and when they need help. There will be hedgehog food to buy, houses, feeding stations and lots of other hedgehog related gifts and crafts and a tombola, with proceeds going to Hallswood Animal Sanctuary, who care for many sick and injured creatures, including hedgehogs. Visitors can meet hedgehog author and illustrator – R Butler and get a signed copy of her book. Enjoy a hedgehog quiz with prizes, hedgehog games and lots of hedgehog activities and competitions throughout the day. There will also be face painting and a plant stall.

It’s sure to be a great event and hopefully lots of money will be raised to support rescue centres and individuals who rescue and provide care for hedgehogs in Norfolk.

Saturday 19th October 2019 - 11:00 am - 3:30 pm

Fairhaven Woodland and Water Garden - School Road, South Walsham, Norwich, Norfolk, NR13 6DZ

https://www.fairhavengarden.co.uk

Tel: 01603 270449

If you would like more information about Hodmedod’s Hedgehog Support, visit their website or give them a call.

Email – paula@hodmedods.org.uk

Tel: Paula 07881 247235

https://hodmedods.org.uk/

Things we can all do to help hedgehogs:

Make sure there are suitable sized gaps in boundary fences and under gates to allow easy passage from one garden to another - hedgehogs can roam an average distance of 2km on a single night!

Check areas carefully before mowing or strimming – lots of hedgehogs get killed and injured by these gardening devices

Move piles of rubbish to a new site before burning, so that you don’t mistakenly burn them alive

Ensure netting is kept at a safe height – hedgehogs can easily get trapped in netting

Check compost heaps before digging the fork in

Stop or reduce the amount of pesticides and poisons used in the garden

Cover drains or deep holes to stop hedgehogs from falling in

Ensure there is an easy route out of ponds and pools, or that they are covered, so hedgehogs can’t drown

If you spot a hedgehog during the day……

If you spot a hedgehog out during the day, whatever the time of year, it’s usually a sign that it’s in trouble. The only exceptions are pregnant females gathering nesting materials just before she gives birth, or a new mum leaving her nest to get food and water while hoglets sleep.

If a hedgehog is trapped, injured, drowning, hibernating and its nest is disturbed and if babies are crying out because the mother has not returned to the nest, please call a rescue centre for help and advice. In the meantime, use gardening gloves or a towel to pick up the hedgehog and place it in a high sided cardboard box with an old towel or jumper in the bottom for the hedgehog to hide under. Put the box somewhere quiet and offer meaty cat or dog food and fresh water and call for help as soon as you can.

Coming soon – 19th October 2019 - Charlie’s Helpline for Hedgehogs

There will soon be one number to call, where you will be able to get the necessary hedgehog help and advice you require.

Tel: 07835 498970

Other places that can offer hedgehog help and advice in Norfolk are:

Hallswood Animal Sanctuary – Stratton Strawless, Near Norwich, Norfolk

Tel: Lyz 07549 991 920 (24/7, leave a message, she will get back to you)

http://hallswood.co.uk

 

Suzanne’s Hedgehog Rescue – Walpole St Peter, Norfolk

Tel: Suzanne 07866 625263

 

Hedgehog Help – Long Stratton, Norfolk

Tel: Tracy 07766 913370

 

Mel’s Hedgehog Rescue – Brockdish, Near Diss, Norfolk

Tel: Mel 01379 669174

 

Foxy Lodge Wildlife Rescue – Hemsby, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk

Tel: 01493 384237 (9am – 6pm)

 

RSPCA – East Winch Wildlife Centre

Tel: 0300 123 0709 (9am -4pm Monday to Friday) (Wildlife Casualties 8am – 10pm)

 

P A C T – Hingham

Tel: 01362 820775

 

Brocks Barn Hedgehog Rescue – Alburgh, Harleston, Norfolk

Tel: 01986 788648 or 07966 095187

 

B H P S – British Hedgehog Preservation Society

For advice call – 01584 890801

Interesting facts about hedgehogs

There are 17 different species of hedgehog, found across Europe, Asia and Africa. Mainly staying on the ground, they are quite good swimmers, and some climb trees

Hedgehogs are famous for their prickly spines, which they have everywhere except on their face, legs and tummies

Their spines are used for defence, both while they sleep and when they face enemies. They curl into a tight ball, tucking in their heads, tail and legs, thus protecting the vulnerable parts of their body

The average size of a litter is 4-5 and baby hedgehogs are known as hoglets

The hedgehog’s favourite foods are insects and other invertebrates and a typical diet includes beetles, earwigs, caterpillars, earthworms and millipedes

Mostly nocturnal creatures, hedgehogs head out at night in search of food and on average cover an area of around 2km

Hedgehogs usually hibernate from October or November until March or April. However, if it’s a mild winter, hedgehogs have been known to still be up and about in December. Manmade hedgehog houses, piles of dead leaves, stacks of logs and under garden sheds are favoured places to hibernate

To prepare for hibernation, hedgehogs need to weigh between 500g and 700g to survive winter and eat as much food as they can in the autumn

In the countryside the hedgehog’s main predator is the badger, who does not seem put off by the prickles. Foxes and birds of prey, such as the tawny owl will also eat hedgehogs, but their spines and ability to roll into a tight ball do act as a deterrent

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