The Hedgehog Street campaign has launched a nationwide call for fencing companies to step in to help hedgehogs. While through this petition we work to try and get government to give teeth to planning law - they have decided to go straight to the fencing companies!

And we can join in and help.

The idea is pretty simple. We know that hedgehogs can walk 2km a night - we know that they can thrive in suburbia - but our fences and walls can interfere with their ability to find enough food, water or shelter - or even to meet potential mates. While we wait for the planning law to change - I really think taking this direct to the companies is a good idea.

Some fencing manufacturers and suppliers already offer hedgehog friendly options such as gravelboards with ready-made hedgehog highway. This is fantastic news for hedgehogs, and we’d love to see more fencing companies offering such products, and raising awareness of them with customers.

Hedgehog friendly gravel boards are currently offered by some companies but I want to see more! 

So, my hedgehog friends, let’s write to fencing companies and urge them to pledge these actions to help hedgehogs:

• Incorporate more hedgehog friendly fencing options into their range.
• Offer customers the option of having fences installed with hedgehog highways.
• Raise awareness via information boards in store and webpages online.

Hedgehog Street have put together a template letter which you can either post or email to both national and local fencing companies. Please feel free to tweak the letter and add your own thoughts. 

Here are some of the national companies … but please, have a look and see if you can find any local ones, they are just as important.

B&Q: bandqcustomerservices@b-and-q.co.uk
Homebase: customerservices@homebase.co.uk
Jewsons: customer.feedback@jewson.co.uk
Travis Perkins: customerservice@travisperkins.co.uk
ScrewFix: online@screwfix.com
Wilko: enquiries@wilko.com

Please copy Hedgehog Street into your emails, or let them know who you’ve approached, so that they can keep a track on who has contacted – hedgehog@ptes.org

Add your own thoughts to the template letter; a personal touch of why you love hedgehogs and think they should be helped will be very powerful! If you don’t hear back from a company, write to them again and ask them to consider your request.

Good luck - to you and to Grace in the Hedgehog Street office!

The amazing photo is by Christopher Morgan.

Just a reminder - that I pop up photos and ideas about hedgehogs and other things on twitter and instagram.

And if you would like to join in with the friendly Hedgehog Highways Facebook Group ... see you there!