It is a question I am often asked - why have I dedicated so much of the last 35 years to just one species ... and over those years, the answer has become refined.

But first - a massive thank you to Climate Action North for this lovely t-shirt ... and I am still clutching my new book at every possible chance. The small bookseller I mentioned in the last update has been inundated by orders - and for small and local bookshops, this sort of thing is vital. You can also buy the book direct from the publisher - and they are now offering a £1 donation to the British Hedgehog Preservation Society for every copy they sell direct from there - use the code CHANGE and that will go to help hedgehog campaigns afloat. 

So - why hedgehogs? It started as an opportunity - my degree required I do a research project and just at the perfect time, the bird observatory on North Ronaldsay noted that the breeding success of ground-nesting birds was declining while the hedgehogs (imported by the postman in 1974) were increasing in number. 

I spent my summer up there and began to fall for the spiny interlopers ... long story about this work written up in A Prickly Affair. 

But - it was years before the full importance of the hedgehog became apparent. I love wildlife - I get a buzz of excitement from bird, insect, reptile, amphibian - as well as mammals. I love the interconnectedness of things - after all, I am an ecologist. And I fear the loss of both the wildlife and the connectedness.

So I would speak about these loves and losses - and gradually came to realise that if I use the hedgehog to begin these conversations, so much more listening takes place. Because, as we all know, everyone (well, nearly everyone) loves hedgehogs - and for me this gives the opportunity to talk about complex ecological issues without scaring the horses.

And for the relevance to this campaign (nearing 800,000!) - well the connections - I worry about the pockets of good that we create in our gardens being islands in a desert of plastic grass and tarmac. I could have campaigned using birds, bees, butterflies or bats ... but they can all overcome our barriers. I could have used the toad, newt or vole ... but with the best will in the world, they do not have the pulling power of the hedgehog! 

The hedgehog - Boss Hog - is the ultimate wildlife ambassador - and we should use the hedgehog to help create a change that will benefit not just the gorgeous beast - but all of the wildlife that we are carelessly losing. 

Further connections - the comments that follow on from these updates are often illuminating and I try and read as many as I can. I am not sure whether you ever get alerted to the fact that I do comment sometimes .... which is why the Facebook group has been such a wonder (I know lots of people don't use FB and I am sorry - but it is such an efficient way of sharing our experiences) - and by the time you read this the group will have grown to 10,000 members!!! This would be a disaster for me to try and manage so thank you, again, for the tireless work of the moderators, Jeff, Rose and Jacqueline. 

Keep up the good work - there WILL be a time when I can start the journey back to government with your support ... until then - share and share and enjoy helping hedgehogs!