On the 23rd March, Jo from Hedgehog Friendly Campus contacted our Biodiversity Officer asking if primary schools within Blaenau Gwent wanted to be part of a trial project to become Hedgehog Friendly Schools. The trial project had 20 places to fill and by the end of the first day Blaenau Gwent Primary schools had signed up for 6 places and others went on to the reserves list. We now have 8 of the 20 places across this National pilot.
Teams (made up of staff and pupils) from; Beaufort Hill Primary School, Coed-y-Garn Primary School, Deighton Primary School, Rhos y Fedwen, Sofrydd Primary School, St Illtyd's Primary School, St Joseph’s Primary and Willowtown Primary School are all now taking extra steps to make their school grounds a better, safer place for these amazing animals.
"Hedgehog Friendly Schools is funded by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and aims to make primary schools in the UK safer and more welcoming for hedgehogs. Hedgehogs are now vulnerable to extinction in Britain, with up to 50% declines since the millennium due to habitat loss and development, roads and garden hazards. They need all the help they can get!
We're thrilled that eight Blaenau Gwent primary schools registered to take part. The schools are part of a limited trial year and have already been running hedgehog footprint and wildlife camera surveys, litter picks, planting hedgehog-friendly plants and doing their bit to raise awareness of hedgehog decline in their local community."
Get in touch @hogfriendly Jo Wilkinson Hedgehog Friendly Campus
As part of the Resilient Greater Gwent project funded by Welsh Government, Blaenau Gwent Council have also been running an urban biodiversity project with Tai Calon and people within our local community. We are so excited to see such enthusiasm from our primary schools to support us in taking steps to improve places for nature where ever we can and make Blaenau Gwent better for biodiversity.
‘I have learnt lots of new fascinating things already including the fact that there are hedgehog friendly trees. The Beech, Oak, Cherry and Hazel all have the right shaped leaves for hogs to build their nests. Amazing.
I am really looking forward to working with the schools and wider community to help these beautiful creatures’. Becky Ward @BeckyEco_Ed
For more hog information, ways to get involved and actions to take look on line at https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/ and go to @hogfriendly where people can find out more about what's happening across the UK