Our Citizen Science project ‘HogWatch Scotland’ was originally funded and supported by The British Hedgehog Preservation Society. This project aimed to understand more about the declining species in Scotland by working with schools and other groups implementing hedgehog friendly changes in the landscape, conducting surveys, and hosting a variety of events and training courses.
We are supporting Hedgehog Street, a campaign by The People’s Trust for Endangered Species and the British Hedgehog Preservation Society to recruit Hedgehog Champions and raise awareness of our prickly friends. To find out more about hedgehogs in the UK read the latest State of Britain’s Hedgehogs Report here.
Why hedgehogs need your help?
Hedgehog numbers in Britain have been declining for over 20 years now. Possible reasons for this decline may include road collisions, lack of connected habitats, less food (invertebrates) and more.
Research shows that while urban hedgehog numbers are stable, rural hedgehog numbers are still sadly declining, meaning we all must do our part to help this iconic British animal.
Hedgehog Friendly Schools
We are currently providing free CPD training for teachers and educators based on how to deliver our ‘Hedgehog Friendly School’ package. We have worked with over 20 schools across Scotland to offer this outdoor learning package which includes presentation, minibeast safari, hedgehog friendly school checklist, hedge planting for schools, mammal tunnel surveys and art & craft activities. Get in touch to register your interest – citizenscience-scotland@tcv.org.uk.
Get involved in five easy ways
- Submit a sighting
- Volunteer to help the National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme (NHMP)
- Become a Hedgehog Champion
- HogWatch at Home – Monitor in your own garden
- Make your garden Hedgehog Friendly
1. Submit a Sighting
When did you last see a hedgehog? Hedgehog sightings are vital to this project as it is important to track hedgehog populations across Scotland and pass these on to the national databases so we can create a picture of hedgehog health in the UK. If you have recently seen a hedgehog or have one visit your garden please email three simple pieces of information to citizenscience-scotland@tcv.org.uk
- Date
- Location of hedgehog: postcode and address or grid reference
- Status: alive/dead/roadkill
These sightings are then added to The Big Hedgehog Map
2. Volunteer with the National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme (NHMP)
We’re very happy to be involved with People’s Trust for Endangered Species and British Hedgehog Preservation Society‘s brand new hedgehog survey, the National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme (NHMP)! 
The NHMP is a new approach to counting hedgehogs and we need your help. If you want to get involved we are searching for volunteers to look for hedgehogs captured on camera. Do your bit for hedgehog conservation from the comfort of your own home! To find out more about the survey and how you can get involved click here
3. HogWatch at Home
Our HogWatch at Home project aims to help communities and individuals engage with local wildlife.
We are pleased to have been awarded a Digital Engagement Grant from the British Ecological Society to create a lending library of wildlife monitoring equipment including trail cameras and mammal footprint tunnels. HogWatch at Home offers you the chance to borrow these for up to four weeks. This digital engagement project is open to all ages and abilities. In this way you will also be contributing to hedgehog and wildlife records which help us understand more about garden wildlife.
Why not take a look at our ‘Hogs at Home’ educational activity pack for some ideas the whole family can take part in too! In partnership with Glasgow Science Centre we have some top tips on using or making a mammal footprint tunnel in your garden, plus a guided video.
Equipment
- Infrared trail camera
- Mammal footprint tunnel kit (with footprint identification guide, wildlife friendly ink pads and ground pegs)
- Borrow for up to four weeks
- Suitable for families, community groups, schools, allotment, resident associations. No age or ability limit
If you’re interested in borrowing a mammal tunnel footprint kit and finding out if you have hedgehogs in your garden, please get in touch at citizenscience-scotland@tcv.org.uk for more details and to arrange collection of a kit from our Glasgow office.
4. Hedgehog Champion
We want to help put Scottish hedgehogs on the map and we need your help to do so. If you want to ensure your local area has hedgehogs for generations to come you can help by signing up to become a Hedgehog Champion for free.
Over 30,000 have already done so, but we are lacking representation in Scotland! Through the HogWatch project we have over 50 new representatives for hedgehogs. Could you join them?
Hedgehog Street is a community for those with an enthusiasm for hedgehogs and will give you access to loads of free useful resources to help spread the word and to help you find out more about hedgehogs.
5. Hedgehog friendly gardens
Hedgehogs thrive in messy, connected gardens. Check out these simple changes which you could make to help your local ‘hogs’.
More information can be found here
Found an injured hedgehog?
If you have found a hedgehog you are concerned about please use gardening gloves to collect it, bring indoors and put in a high sided cardboard box with an old towel or fleece in the bottom for the hedgehog to hide under. Put the box somewhere quiet.
Fill a hot water bottle and wrap in a towel, place this at the bottom of the box to ensure a gentle heat comes through. Make sure the hedgehog can get off the hot water bottle if it becomes too warm. Always keep the water warm, if it becomes cold it will chill the hedgehog and do more harm than good. If the hedgehog is bleeding, avoid using a hot water bottle as this will increase the bleeding.
Offer meaty cat or dog food and freshwater and for further advice call Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue Centre on 01505 502415 or the Scottish SPCA on 03000 999 999. You can watch a tour of the Hedgehog Hospital at Hessilhead here.
Contact
Follow us on social media for updates and highlights:
Facebook: TCV Scotland
Instagram: @tcvscotland
Twitter: @TCVScotland
We have previously organised a variety of in-person and online presentations, workshops and training courses. Please keep an eye out for any future events on our TCV Eventbrite page . You can also watch the RSPB Mysterious Mammals Wild Webinar event with details about our project.
For more information, to volunteer, submit sightings and register your interest in our equipment loan scheme, please contact:
Alex Paterson, TCV Hedgehog Project Officer
Unit M1, Rosemount Business Park
143 Charles Street
Glasgow
G21 2QA