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Mel Hardie (and friend)
The Hedgehog Project
Officer From Royal Holloway University
Calling All Motorists - Britain's Hedgehogs Need
You!
Are you planning to drive more than 20 miles this summer? If so, why not
take part in the National Hedgehog Survey? Organised by Royal Holloway,
University of London and Mammals Trust UK with the support of the British
Hedgehog Preservation Society, this will be the first-ever nationwide survey
of one of our best-loved native mammals.
If successful, the survey will help
us answer the prickly problem of how many hedgehogs there are in Britain and
could lead to the development of a national conservation strategy.
Why a National Hedgehog Survey is Needed
Hedgehogs used to be very common throughout Britain, but like the farmland
birds whose habitat they share, there is evidence that the species may be in
decline. The rough pasture and hedgerow habitats on which hedgehogs depend
are under increasing pressure in the modern countryside, and populations of
their invertebrate prey have been hit by increased use of pesticides.
Because they are nocturnal, secretive, and wide-ranging, hedgehogs are very
difficult to monitor in the wild. Up to now, we have had no idea of hedgehog
populations across Britain, and therefore no baseline to assess the impact
of environmental change.
Wanted: Several Thousand Observant Drivers
Over the past few years, Dr Pat Morris of Royal Holloway has pioneered the
development of a reliable method of estimating hedgehog numbers in the
countryside based on road-kill data. By analysing the numbers of hedgehog
corpses observed on the roads against different settlement density, land
use, habitat types and other factors, the Royal Holloway team will be able
to obtain an accurate index of hedgehog abundance across the country. The
advantage of this method is that the data may be collected through the
voluntary participation of road-users, and to be accurate, several thousand
records covering the whole of Britain's road network are needed - which
means we need plenty of willing volunteers!
How You Can Get Involved
To take part in the National Hedgehog Survey, all you need is a recording
pack to keep in your glove compartment for those long summer drives. For any
or all daytime journeys over 20 miles, you can record the locations of
hedgehogs and other mammals seen on the road together with details of your
route.
For more information or a survey pack, please call the Hedgehog Survey
Helpline on 020 7498 5262 or email Hedgehog@mammalstrustuk.org.
For more hedgehog photos and info click here
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