A meeting to discuss how to help hedgehogs

HALTING the decline of the once-common hedgehog was the focus of a talk held on Sunday by a Highgate-based green group – and organisers say our attachment to the spike-backed mammals brings hope that a decline in their numbers can be halted.

Eco-activist group Growing Green organised the event at the Holly Lodge Community Centre, and those attending heard how they could make their gardens more friendly for the creatures whose place in our collective consciousness was formed by Beatrix Potter’s Mrs Tiggywinkle.

Hedgehogs used to be regularly spotted in London but recent years have seen a dramatic drop in numbers and, worryingly, ecologists say they are an “indicator species” – a sign of a healthy ecosystem.

Growing Green’s Claudia Kretzschmar explained actions households can take to make a garden wildlife-friendly and accessible to the creatures.

Ms Kretzschmar said: “We can really see the enthusiasm for restoring nature in our community – we expected around 30 people and over 90 came. We were bowled over by the response.”

And after listening to the importance of hedgehogs, attendees were taken on a walk through Holly Lodge to see the work being done first hand on the estate to make welcoming spaces for the mammals, including new planting and ponds.

The event ended at the foot of Swain’s Lane, where the group hope to install tunnels to help hedgehogs cross the road from Highgate Cemetery to Holly Lodge and on to Hampstead Heath as part of a new green corridor for wildlife.

Growing Green co-founder Jeska Harrington Gould added: “People understand the importance to our future and our children’s future of creating safe places for wildlife to thrive. We have been discussing our ideas for hedgehog crossings on key roads with Camden Council for a while now and they are open to our ideas.”