I've reported on many initiatives to help wildlife over the years, but the most unusual is “Hedgehog Highways”: people are asked to help hedgehogs by linking as many gardens in their area as possible by leaving 13cm square gaps under garden fences or walls – that’s about the size of a CD case, if you remember those! 

The gaps enable creatures to move between gardens and green spaces. 

You probably wouldn’t want to cuddle a hedgehog, but this prickly creature is one of our most-loved wild animals, with its spiny back, long snout and waddling gait. But hedgehogs are in trouble, with an estimated UK population fall of two-thirds in the past 25 years. 

Hedgehogs are nocturnal, spending the night wandering over a large area (as much as 2km in a single night) looking for food and shelter. 

When they are unable to move freely there is “habitat fragmentation” and this is one of the main reasons why Britain’s hedgehog population is in decline – they can’t find move around to find food and don’t encounter other hedgehogs to breed. Hedgehog Highways are one of the best ways we can help.

The national campaign, called Hedgehog Street, is run jointly by two wildlife charities: the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) and People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES). 

It encourages people to make small changes in their own gardens, which will make a big difference for hedgehogs. To date, more than 125,000 volunteers have registered to help as “Hedgehog Champions”.

One of the Hedgehog Champions is 17-year-old Dylan Allman, from Monmouthshire, who has even started his own “Hedgehog Aware” web site (www.hedgehogaware.org.uk) to help Hedgehog Street to spread the word about how everyone can get involved. Dylan is well-known across south-east Wales and the wider area as a hedgehog action hero. He has also appeared in national newspapers and media, including Sky News and BBC Radio 4 earlier this year. 

Now Hedgehog Street is taking its campaign a stage further: it has asked fencing manufacturers to manufacture products with hedgehog-friendly gaps so the creature can move freely. 

The national builders’ merchant Jewson has become the first major national company to sign-up to Hedgehog Street’s “Hedgehog Friendly Fencing” campaign, which was launched in July.

Jewson has pledged to help hedgehogs by offering customers a number of solutions including gravel boards with pre-installed “Hedgehog Highways”. Gravel boards are installed under fencing to prevent contact between the fence and the damp or wet earth, so avoiding moisture damage to the fence. 

The 13cm square gaps in the boards give hedgehogs much-needed access to other gardens and green spaces, which is vital for their long-term survival.

Dylan’s involvement in the campaign and passion for hedgehogs inspired Jewson to take action. 

He said: “Hedgehogs are classified as vulnerable to extinction on the Red List for Britain’s Mammals (2020), but thankfully there are lots of ways we can all help these charismatic creatures. 

“I’m so pleased that Jewson are going to be offering such a wonderful wildlife-friendly range of products that I know will help encourage the trade and public to be more aware of hedgehogs, and play their part in helping stop their decline in numbers across the country.”

Grace Johnson, Hedgehog Officer, Hedgehog Street told us that Hedgehog Street is an ongoing project, encouraging people to make small changes in their own gardens, which will make a big difference for hedgehogs. 

She said: “Although more than 125,000 volunteer ‘Hedgehog Champions’ up and down the country have registered to help, we always need more volunteers!”

Hedgehog Street is also liaising with farmers or rural landowners, housing developers and greenspace land managers, to help better manage their land to support wild hedgehog populations.

Grace added: “We’re thrilled that Jewson has responded to our latest campaign and will soon be offering hedgehog-friendly gravel boards. 

“We know that fences with Hedgehog Highways in are an effective solution in combatting the ongoing decline, and we hope more suppliers and manufacturers will follow suit and offer hedgehog friendly products too. 

“We’re also extremely grateful to Dylan, whose dedication has led to this new relationship.”

Other companies are already helping hedgehogs, including Jacksons Fencing, Birkdale and Selco Builders Warehouse. 

Since the campaign began several local fencing suppliers have pledged to help, but Jewson is the only national company that has responded to Hedgehog Street’s latest call to help. 

Jewson’s new “Supreme Concrete Wildlife Gravel Board” will be available in 30 regional stores and online in the new year. If popular with customers, they’ll be introduced to more stores across the country. 

The board will have a pre-installed 13cm square gap, just the right size for hedgehogs to travel through in their nightly search for food, shelter and mates. 

Matthew Handley, category innovation manager at Jewson, explained: “We are constantly looking for ways to help our industry become more sustainable, and this latest product is a great example of how small changes can have a positive impact on the planet. 

“We are proud to be supporting Hedgehog Street’s hedgehog-friendly fencing campaign and look forward to seeing the difference it makes this winter and beyond.”

Let’s hope that the survival of our hedgehogs will be ensured, thanks to Hedgehog Street’s ongoing work with conservation charities, academics, farmers, landowners, UK government, housing developers and now fencing companies. And, importantly, the British public of course!

For top tips on how to help hedgehogs, visit www.hedgehogstreet.org