
Could you emulate Harry?
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Last year, young Harry saw the invitation to submit an entry into the British Hedgehog Preservation Society’s t-shirt design competition … and look what happened!
Now it is your turn to try and get your picture on a shirt for Hedgehog Awareness Week.
This year the theme is ‘Take the Hedgehog Pledge’ – so we’ll be shouting about all the actions we can take to help protect our precious wild hedgehogs. This includes things like pledging to add more hedgehog highways to your neighbourhood, to sign up to be an NHMP spotter or to leave wild edges, long grass and log piles in the garden.
Whether it’s minimalistic or bursting with vibrant colours, let your imagination run wild and show us what hedgehogs mean to you. Instructions are here.
On the substack version there are some examples of me modelling hedgehog t-shirts that might give you some inspiration (though I realise that pictures of me might not be way to lure you over to the other platform!!!!)
Those of you who have seen me talk will know that there are sometimes tangents … and this is one … I would like you to take a few minutes to read THIS - from George Monbiot in the Guardian … whatever your political opinions and prejudices (we all have them) one thing I know about George is that his work is very well researched and referenced … the article is not about hedgehogs, but it is about the survival of a habitable ecosystem for hedgehogs, and us …
Life as a freelance writer and hedgehog does give me a great deal of freedom - but it ain’t half exhausting! Last week I was booked to do a talk in Halifax about Cull of the Wild, took the opportunity to interview the amazing comedian Rob Rouse on the way, and then headed to my mother’s in Birkenhead for a few days before heading back to Oxford for a weekend of photo jobs … Yesterday I was in Gloucester talking about hedgehogs, got home at midnight - and today the biggest challenge yet … my autistic daughter managed to get tickets to see Renee Rapp … then at the last minute her friend was unable to come and, well, those of you how understand the autistic meltdown will understand why I will be going - as the most unlikely person ever!! Please wish me luck!
Another tangent - THANK YOU - to everyone who contributed to my wife's walk for MIND - after the suicide of our young friend Romain, Zoe decided to set out to walk 100 miles in March - aiming to reach £150 ... well ... by 75 miles she had already raised ... £1000 ... this is such an amazing effort and such amazing generosity - thank you x
Now - get designing!!! Oh, and while you are at it, why not create a banknote too!!