Perhaps Britain’s most impressive example of local hedgehog conservation can be found in the nation’s biggest network of hedgehog highways called ‘Hedgehog Street’ in Dale Road, Keyworth, Nottinghamshire. Residents of the road have ensured that hedgehogs can travel through gardens to help in their conservation. Dale Road has 42 hedgehog highways which link more than 30 gardens, and which also form a network with neighbouring gardens in other streets.
The residents cut small doorways in their fences and walls which allow hedgehogs to roam for food, nesting material and mates. This makes them essential for the survival of the species.
The award of the longest hedgehog highway was granted by the wildlife charities, the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) and the People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES). They run a hedgehog campaign.
The residents of Dale Road are a team led by Jennifer Manning-Ohren. In addition to the impressive line of doorways, they have built hedgehog houses and feeding stations. They also have camera traps dotted around the superhighway to monitor hedgehog movement which helps to maximise the efficiency of their efforts.
Manning-Ohren said: “Some people in the village hadn’t seen hedgehogs for 30 years.
The highway was setup in 2011. The campaign encourages homeowners to make a small effort to improve the lives of hedgehogs.
Rural hedgehog populations have declined by up to 75% in some areas since 2000 according to BHPS and PTES.
The creation of hedgehog highways has stabilised some urban hedgehog population while some are increasing thus emphasising the importance of the residents’ efforts.
One of the residents of ‘Hedgehog Street’, Grace Johnson said: “Two of the main pressures hedgehogs face in urban areas are habitat fragmentation and lack of suitable habitat. Connecting gardens is the best way to combat this.”
The map shows the location of Keyworth:
Other wild animals can benefit from highways between backyards. Badgers and foxes benefit tremendously from access across gardens and through to urban roads. I’m pleased to say that I have played my part.
I have excavated a hole under my garden fence and punched a hole in a fence panel allowing access from my backyard to the road at the front of the house. The former is for squirrels, badgers, domestic cats and foxes and the latter for foxes primarily.
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