Update from Help a Hedgehog

Well - we haven't had time to do much blogging lately!  We've been busy with events, talks and general fundraising efforts, as well as the day to day tasks of caring for the hedgehogs - which after all, is what it's all about!

If you are a regular reader of the Stroud News & Journal you will have been able to keep up with our monthly article in the Green Scene.

So what happened in October? No Green Scene! So here is the article which would have been in ............

News from Help a Hedgehog Hospital

We've now passed the Autumnal Equinox and the nights are drawing in fast! Temperatures are still fairly warm so the hedgehogs will be out and about each evening looking for food. Please continue to put out dry or wet cat food for them as they need all the food they can get at this time of year in order to boost their fat reserves for hibernation. Don't forget to leave out fresh water as well, as this is vital for all wildlife.

Young hogs born towards the end of the summer will be trying to make their own way now, and you may well find small hedgehogs in your garden. While they may be perfectly healthy, please pick them up and weigh them, as if they weigh less than 450 gm now, they will not be big enough to survive the winter. As hedgehog numbers have declined so rapidly over the last couple of decades, it is an important part of our work to ensure that as many as possible of these little ones are cared for over the winter to be released in the spring, to carry on their life cycle.. Please contact us if you find a small hog – 160 underweight autumn juveniles made it through last winter in our care.

Hedgehogs need to be a minimum weight of at least 500 – 600gm to survive the winter.

It is also important to contact us quickly if you see a hog out in the daytime, or an injured one, as delay can mean the difference between life and death. Hedgehogs do not hibernate or sleep in the open – if a hog is not moving it is either very poorly or already dead.

Also at this time of year we have to issue the usual warnings about bonfires and strimmers – gardeners are out tidying up – please check before strimming as they cause horrific injuries, and unlit bonfires are attractive to hedgehogs – with obvious and distressing results if they are lit some days later. The rule must be – light the bonfire the day it is built!

Our talks team will be happy to talk about our work with hedgehogs to groups large and small – please call John on 01453 885653 to book a talk. We do ask for a donation, and we have some merchandise to sell to help our funds. Thanks to all who supported our stall at the Stroud Festival of Nature and Frampton Country Fair – we rely on your help! Our next event is our Autumn Hibernation event at the Arkell Centre on Saturday 19^th October. We hope to see you there! For contact details and more information, please see our website http://www.helpahedgehog.org/

BBBBBRRRRR!!!! ..... Is it nearly Spring yet?

It's been a while since we updated our blog.......... not since Christmas in fact.

Most of the more than 140  hedgehogs have put on lots of weight and those large enough to hibernate have been asleep for quite a while. Some smaller ones have decided to stay awake & take advantage of the food on offer. We will be releasing most of them when they are ready to go.....hopefully when the weather warms up a bit.

It's been quiet on the fundraising front lately too, apart from our programme of talks which has continued throughout the winter months. We do talks to groups of all ages - call John on 01453 885653 to book a talk for your group. We don't charge a fee - but as this is an important source of income for Hospital, we are grateful for donations, or for the group to organise an event.

Our young friend Isabella is doing just that - a sponsored swim - all this week from 23rd - 30th March she will be swimming two hours daily at the Virgin Active pool in Gloucester - by the end of the week she will have swum 1300 lengths of the pool - 19 miles - equivalent to a Channel swim! If you would like to sponsor her - just go to our Paypal button on the website and say what it is for.

Now we are starting to get busy with our Spring events.........let's hope we get some warmer weather soon!

A full list of our planned events is on the website - but we will be starting off with a Craft Activity Day
( hedgehog themed of course!) at the Corinium Museum in Cirencester, on Easter Saturday, March 30th, from 10am -4pm.. This is also tied in with Cath Hodsman's exhibition of her prints, which is currently running, till April 8th.

Our Spring Event at Bussage Village Hall will be on Sunday 14th April - 10am - 2.30pm. There will be stalls, games, tombola, and refreshments, including Cream Teas! Tickets for our Spring Draw will also be on sale. There may also be a chance to meet one of our patients.

Our Art and Craft Fayre at Frampton on Severn on Monday 27th May promises to be a great day - lots of super stalls and a chance to win one of the lovely prizes donated by the stallholders in our Spring Draw.

We have also booked space at many local events throughout the next few months, so hope to see lots of our friends there.