Hedgehogs

Protecting Nature’s Little Wanderers

Once a common sight in gardens and parks, and a beloved mammal in the UK, hedgehogs are now struggling to survive due to habitat loss and urban barriers. At Growing Green, we’re committed to giving these beloved creatures a helping hand by creating safe spaces and connected corridors for them to thrive. We are currently working on corridors that link Hampstead Heath to Waterlow Park, creating a lifeline for our prickly neighbours.

Hedgehog Highways

Hedgehogs roam up to two kilometers a night in search of food and mates, but fences, walls, and paved gardens often block their way. That’s why we’re working with schools, residents, and local organisations to create hedgehog highways—small holes in fences and continuous green routes that connect fragmented habitats.

We offer a free hedgehog-hole cutting service to anyone living in the area.

What we’ve achieved

With the help of volunteers and community support, we’ve already:

  • Installed wildlife-friendly hedgerows and dead hedges.

  • Cut 50 highways in fences between the Heath and Waterlow park, and identified another 35 existing holes. That’s 85 in total. Can we reach 100 soon?

  • Educated schools and residents about hedgehog conservation.

  • Set up 2 hedgehog rescue boxes on Holly Lodge Estate

How you can help

Hedgehogs need three essentials to thrive: habitat, shelter, and food. Here’s how you can make your outdoor space a haven for these charming creatures—and a few things to avoid:

  • Create a highway: Cut a 13 x 13cm (5 x 5”) hole in your fence to allow hedgehogs to roam.

  • Build shelter: Dead hedges, log piles, and dense native hedges provide ideal homes.

  • Rewild your lawn: Let it grow into a meadow full of insects for hedgehogs to eat. Even if you dedicate a small corner or strip along a fence, that’s already great!

  • Add a hedgehog house: Choose a hibernation-friendly design—this hedgehog house is a great option.

  • Make ponds safe: Add a ramp or shallow entry so hedgehogs can climb out.

  • Avoid harmful practices: Skip slug pellets (poisoned slugs harm hedgehogs), and say no to bonfires and leaf blowers. Instead, create a cozy leaf pile for hedgehogs to find shelter. And be extra careful with strimmers.

Feeding hedgehogs: If you’re lucky enough to have hedgehog visitors, leave them water and meaty cat food—but never milk. Our prickly friends are lactose intolerant!

If you spot a hedgehog, dead or alive, please report it on the Big Hedgehog Map

CONCERNED ABOUT A HEDGEHOG? Check out the Hedgehog First Aid Advice guidance from the British Hedgehog Preservation Society: https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/found-a-hedgehog/

FEEDING HEDGEHOGS If you are thinking about providing supplementary food for hedgehogs, please check out the guidance from Hedgehog Street: https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/help-hedgehogs/feed-hedgehogs

Check out our hedgehog footage! We’ve been setting up little cameras around the area and it’s been such a joy. Proof that they are around and our efforts are definitely worth it.

Our goal is to connect Hampstead Heath to Waterlow Park through a network of wildlife-friendly gardens and green spaces. We are working together with Heath Hands to make this happen.

Hedgehog Facts

  • Urban Explorers

    Hedgehogs visit around 10–15 gardens in a single night. Holes in our fences make a huge difference for them!

  • Little Roamers

    They travel between 1–2 km per night (sometimes up to 3 km for males during mating season)

  • Winter Shelters

    Hedgehogs build 2–4 hibernacula each winter, often moving between them if disturbed or if conditions change.