Latest Eco Tip – “Encouraging Hedgehogs”

Eco-Tips

One of St.Christophers pledges is to be an eco-church and we are participating in the A-Rocha Eco-Church Award scheme. This scheme suggests eco-initiatives, in a variety of areas, that church communities could introduce. ‘Success’ is measured by an award of bronze, silver, and ultimately gold status.

One initiative is to offer ‘eco-tips’ to our church community. We have researched the internet, put together a number of ideas, and hope you will find some of them to be thought-provoking, and useful!

Tip – Encouraging Hedgehogs

The hedgehog population is in decline over the whole of the UK. Th best way we can help them is to provide somewhere for them to survive through the winter. If you have a sheltered corner of your garden and access to some dry logs or a lot of deadplant material then you can make a simple place for them to hibernate. They will soon be looking for such a place and at the end of October will be settling in for the winter.

Other ways to help them. You can feed them dog or cat food but make sure it does not contain any fish.They will also appreciate a bowl of water.

Lastly they will need a way in or out of the garden. A small hole in the fence or gaps of other kinds will help them to forage and find other hogs.

Hedgehogs will repay you by eating up the slugs and other pests which are spoilng your garden.

If you are walking along the river side in Hurst Park just past the cricket club you will see an ernormous pile which we hope will house a number of hogs.