Rothbury Climate and Nature host or create a number of community events throughout the year. On Saturday 10th August, we held a superb event hosted by the wonderfully generous Paul Allen, making much needed shelters for our spiny neighbours.
Hedgehog numbers in the countryside have fallen by at least 30%, possibly 75% since 2000. A really worrying number is this one: it is thought that there are only about one million of the creatures left in the UK. In fact, 'they are disappearing as fast as tigers worldwide'. wildaboutgardens
I approached Paul Allen at The Barn to ask for his guidance and help. 12 kind people signed up for this event, and every single one of them were delighted with the support, resources, and activity. We all came away with our own individual hedgehog house, but we all followed the very clear instructions provided by Paul.
The workshop was all prepared for us, with wood cut to the right length, tools were provided.
Paul explained the process:
One aspect of the afternoon which I feel was very important, was the way we needed to help and support one another. It was lovely to hear all the conversations and see the way ideas and suggestions were being shared.
What about the wood? Where does the timber come from?
Paul explained that he gets the timber for free, from Wingates Sawmill which is a local wood yard & sawmill based in Wingates, Northumberland. They gift pieces of larch which would otherwise have been discarded and pulped.
HOW TO HELP HOGS
For us to have an impact on helping to protect and save hedgehogs, there are several things we can do.
Encourage our neighbours to make 'hedgehog highways'. Hogs need to be able to roam between 1-2 km each night.
Do not use pesticides. The hogs will control your 'pests'!
Provide clean, safe water. Ensure hogs cannot fall and drown in your pond.
Provide nesting sites. Log and leaf piles, a great excuse to not tidy the garden! Get a hedgehog house!
Grow a variety of plants. These will attract the creatures which are food for hogs.
Leave areas of grass a bit longer.
AVOID strimming, and lighting bonfires, without checking the area thoroughly first.
Longframlington Hedgehog Rescue is the best place to go if you find a hedgehog you are concerned about. Read about their work here.
Anthea
We were all very proud of our hedgehog houses.
Liz. Her box is going in the grounds of All Saints Church, Rothbury.
Dee and Terry.
Dee. Dee is already using her house as a feeding station, before converting it to a house, in the winter.
Anthea
Sam 'I really enjoyed making this, and I am going to look out for woodwork classes at the Barn'.
Helen, working hard.
Helen, 'I really enjoyed the afternoon'.
Joanne, what a fine shelter for hedgehogs!
Carol already has several hogs visiting her garden (along with a host of other wildlife). This will add to her collection of hedgehog houses.
Rosie is looking forward to encouraging hedgehogs into her garden.
Julie 'This has been the most enjoyable afternoon I have had in a while!'
Pauline. 'This has been a great activity, and I am looking forward to hopefully attracting hedgehogs to our garden'.
A HUGE THANK YOU, to Paul and Ros Allen, for their help to our community. We all loved coming to your barn, and we think the organisation of the making was perfect.
Thank you everyone, and let's hope we can do our bit to help the hogs!
For more Rothbury CAN events, keep an eye on the events page of our website:
Rothbury CAN is a non-registered charity. We have no income, and charge only essential costs to cover venues and resources. Are aim is to help wellbeing, mitigate climate change, and help nature. We would love you to join us! email rothbury.can@gmail.com
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