Keswick Town Council has agreed to take part in a project to help raise awareness and protect a mammal whose numbers are in serious decline.
Members agreed to get involved in the Hedgehogs R Us Highway Project and the issue is to be placed on the next council agenda for discussion at the February meeting.
The council has been approached by Linda Cook, of Market Weighton, Yorkshire, who has already got 70 town and parish councils interested in taking part in her hedgehog conservation project.
It involves creating a hedgehog highway – a five inch gap in a fence or wall which allows the animals access to gardens to forage for food, access nesting sites and meet mates. She is asking each area of the UK to use a small portion of their assigned funds to buy a box of hedgehog highway surrounds and to make them available for residents. The surrounds are decorated with a “super cute” hedgehog which creates a talking point and encourages others to create a highway of their own and take part in the project.
Money from the sale of every hedgehog sign is donated to help the rescue of sick and injured hedgehogs. Each box of 50 surrounds costs £150.
“The project will be receiving a lot of publicity in the coming months via social media and I really hope you choose to take part,” said Ms Cook in her letter to the council. “My dream is to make the whole of the UK one giant hedgehog highway and for that dream to come true it needs everyone to take part.”
Learn more by visiting: https://hedgehogsrus.co.uk/hedgehog-highway-project.
