Some wonderful news for hedgehogs (and hedgehog lovers) everywhere - the truly amazing Megan McCubbin has agreed to step up as a patron of the British Hedgehog Preservation Society. She is an inspirational communicator about the natural world and I have had the pleasure of being interviewed by her many times.

Next - well, she is a little younger but Amelie is amazing. Her dad, Alex, got in touch with me last year to see if I was ever going to be near their Wiltshire home - and whether I could pop into her school - as Amelie is a massive hedgehog fan (and, oh, my ego was boosted to the moon by this, a fan of my books). 

By a delightful coincidence I was booked in to do a talk in a village not far from them and was thrilled when they turned up. It was so lovely to meet her … and find out that she is only 10 … there really is hope for the future!

And now, Amelie is up to something … she is raising money for a hedgehog hospital called Prickles and Paws.

So if you can, drop her a bit - it would be amazing to see her meet her goal and then way more!

My third (and last for now) is the wonderful Fay - boss of the BHPS - who has just celebrated her 25th anniversary of working there. A good person and a good friend who has dedicated most of her life to hedgehogs. 

You might not have 25 years to spare - but Hedgehog Awareness Week is approaching fast and with it loads of opportunities to get out and help our prickly friends. I am up to my eyeballs in trying to get my latest (not very hedgehog related) book finished by the end of the month … so may be quiet on here for a bit … but it would be great to know what your plans are for HAW … why not log into the Hedgehog Highways Facebook Group and share what you are up to … 

I can’t be entirely selfless - 20th April sees the launch of my latest book with Graffeg - this one all about Water Voles - now if you can get your local bookshop to stock it, that would be amazing (and please, any of my other books too!) - but if not, I have found that the lovely folk at WildSounds are offering it at a considerable discount …

Wish me luck with the new book … I got some amazing advice from a very wise Professor - he said: ‘Overwhelmed is good; I'd be worried if you weren't, because it would suggest that you're not taking it seriously!’