Don’t forget to check your bonfire pile for hedgehogs before lighting! We are now in the middle of bonfire season, so please make sure you keep hedgehogs safe. Over winter, hedgehogs hibernate in leaf and brash piles which keep them warm and hidden from predators. Unfortunately this means that bonfire piles are irresistible hiding places for hedgehogs, which can have devastating consequences for them once the fire is lit.

By taking the pile down and building it up again just before lighting, as well as lighting it from only one side, you can give hedgehogs a chance to escape. Our recommendation is to compost garden waste or take it to Townmead Road, and to attend a communal bonfire rather than build one at home.

If you’d like your local hedgehogs to visit your garden, there are a few simple steps you can take. Make sure they have access – Barnes Hedgehogs, now under our umbrella, offer a service to cut small access holes in fences. You can also leave out food and water for them – read more about dos and dont’s on our Barnes Hedgehogs page.

Are you interested in helping our local hedgehogs? We’re still looking for Hedgehog Champions in Barnes, please get in touch if you are up for it by emailing [email protected].

We have an upcoming session on the 23rd of November for connecting local gardens to the Barnes Hedgehog Highway. In an urban area, these access holes in fences connecting local gardens are lifesavers for hedgehogs. If you’d like to provide access for hedgehogs to your garden and need help with creating the opening in your fence or garden wall, please book your time slot.