Every time I log on to check the status of the petition I still get a shiver of delighted surprise - 622,000 and counting! And the Hedgehog Highway Facebook group is also buzzing with a really vibrant community of contributors ... if you are interested, sign up. I have really appreciated they way that other members of the group keep an eye out for less appropriate postings and language - there is too much social media that is polarised, I want to keep our hedgehog world as happy as we can make it!
So - the New Year - and New Decade ... what will it hold for hedgehogs? And how will our campaign progress?
The petition - well I will intend to keep it active until such time as there is a concrete shift in the way hedgehogs are respected through the planning process and in new developments. I will be revealing something VERY exciting soon ... but that will only be the start. I have yet to make contact with The Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP - the new housing Minister. But soon he will be aware of the hoards of hedgehog-lovers wanting to see serious change!
As for hedgehogs in general - 2019 saw some rescues saying they had record numbers of hedgehogs brought in to them. Now this could be a cause for concern - so many sick and injured hedgehogs out there ... or it could be a cause for celebration - as it might indicate that there are more hedgehogs to be found ... or, as I think most likely - the work of this campaign and the likes of Hedgehog Street and the British Hedgehog Preservation Society - along with very active groups such as Hedgehog Friendly Town and Hedgehog Friendly Campus - have all raised awareness about the plight of hedgehogs and this has got people engaged and active.
So what more can we do? Communicate. We can keep spreading the word - making sure that children in particular learn how important nature is so that they will grow into adults that care and along the way encourage their parents to make changes!
Look beyond your gardens - find out who is managing the green spaces around where you live - whether it is parks, playing fields or nature reserves - and ask them what they are doing to help. Please let me know what responses you get. The petition is not a great place for communication so either use the Facebook group or email me through my website.
Log your sightings. Now - the Big Hedgehog Map is great but there is something new .... something that has been brewing for a while and something that I hope you will find interesting and useful .... Today is launched the the Hedgehog Street campaign App ... so much of our campaigning work is about connections - making sure that there are connections in the environment to let hedgehogs move. But there is more than just the Hedgehog Highways - there are the connections between people too - it can feel dispiriting working alone, especially when you hear so much bad news - but building communities, like this petition, like the FB page - and now through the new Hedgehog Street App - can really help us keep motivated - keep spreading the word and making the world a better place for hedgehogs.