Students at St. Edburg's Primary School received a ‘hedgehog home’ from developer Barratt Homes, the company behind the new development The Chimes in Kingsmere Village.
The students will now be able to observe the behaviour and habits of hedgehogs from a safe distance, whilst knowing that they are contributing to the wellbeing of local wildlife.
During hibernation, which generally takes places during the colder months, hedgehogs do what they can to take shelter. Typically, they build a nest in dense undergrowth, using piles of leaves and twigs to stay warm. The donation by Barratt Homes aims to help hedgehogs shelter from future winter weather, and find a cosy spot to frequent in the warmer months.
Tanya Silk, Sales Director at Barratt Homes West Midlands said: "We’d contacted a range of schools close to our developments, including St Edburg's Primary School. It formed part of a conscious effort to ensure hedgehogs returning from their winter hibernation were able to find shelter in a new location."
She added: "(the home) features a concealed chamber to help keep adult hedgehogs and their babies safe from foxes and badgers."
Barratt Homes have been partnered with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) since 2014, a collaboration that is supposedly the first of its kind in the UK. The aim of the agreement is to help natural habitats flourish at the housebuilder's developments across the country.
Tanya further stated: "Whilst we strive to support a variety of the UK’s wildlife species, hedgehogs often face the largest threat to their population, and we try to protect them as best we can. Our show home gardens often feature hedgehog homes and highways, and we try to support schools in their efforts to provide shelter for nature’s visitors on their grounds."
In July 2021, hedgehogs were added to the Red List for British Mammals. Which indicates that they are 'vulnerable to extinction'. The categorisation change comes after an extensive meta-analysis showed a decline in Great Britain's hedgehog population size. Other mammals on the list include the Common shrew, European rabbit and the Field vole.
State of Britain’s Hedgehogs 2022 report, published by People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) and the British Hedgehog Preservation society (BHPS) in February, stated that hedgehog numbers have suffered a long historic decline. But increasingly apparent are the differences between urban and rural populations. Numbers remain stable in urban areas, showing signs of recovery, whilst rural numbers remain low. The largest declines being seen in the eastern half of England.
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