From 3rd–9th May 2026, people across the UK will be celebrating Hedgehog Awareness Week, a perfect moment for us in Ealing to take action for one of our most loved (and most threatened) wild neighbours.
Hedgehogs were once a common sight in gardens and parks across London. Today, their numbers are in serious decline due to habitat loss, road dangers and barriers between gardens. The good news is that gardens and allotments can play a huge role in helping them recover, and small, simple changes really do make a difference.
Why hedgehogs need our help
Hedgehogs travel surprisingly long distances each night, between 1-2km, in search of food, water and a mate. In urban areas like Ealing, fences and walls can block their routes, leaving them isolated and struggling to survive.
They also need safe places to nest, plenty of invertebrates to eat, and access to fresh water. Unfortunately, tidy gardens, pesticides and hazards like netting, steep-sided ponds or uncovered drains can make life much harder for them.
Get involved this Hedgehog Awareness Week
By taking part in Hedgehog Awareness Week, you’re joining thousands of people across the UK working to protect this iconic species.
Here are 5 simple ways you can help hedgehogs in your garden or allotment
1. Create a “hedgehog highway”
Make a small hole (about 13cm x 13cm) at the base of your fence or wall, or dig a channel, to allow hedgehogs to move between gardens. If you are concerned about larger animals using it you could add a small tunnel. Speak to your neighbours – if they join in, you can create a whole network of connected habitats.
2. Leave a wild corner and build a log pile
Let part of your garden grow a little wilder. Long grass, dense planting and leaf and log piles attract natural food for hedgehogs and provide safe places to nest and hibernate.
3. Provide water (and optional food)
A shallow dish of fresh water is a lifeline, especially in very hot or cold weather. You can also offer meaty cat or dog food as a supplement, but never milk or fish-based cat or dog food. Try placing food under a low cover so cats can’t reach it.
4. Make your garden safe
Hedgehogs can be injured or killed by common gardening activities. Here are some simple ways to reduce risks:
- Check thoroughly before using strimmers, mowers or hedge cutters. Hedgehogs will roll into a ball rather than run away.
- Avoid using robotic mowers at night.
- Build, or move, bonfire piles on the day you plan to light them
- Take care when turning compost heaps with sharp forks. Ideally avoid nesting and hibernation seasons.
- Keep netting at least a foot above the ground, and avoid low barbed wire
- Pick up litter that hedgehogs could get trapped in (e.g. bottles, rings, elastic bands) and anything sharp
- Cover drains and holes, or check them daily and provide escape routes.
- Ensure ponds have gently sloping sides or add a ramp using stones or wood. Be aware that paddling pools and sandpits can become hazards when filled with rainwater.
5. Avoid chemicals
- Slug pellets, pesticides and lawn treatments reduce the invertebrates hedgehogs rely on and can also harm them directly. Wildlife-friendly gardening benefits the whole ecosystem.
- Choose environmentally safe wood preservatives and apply them in the morning so they dry before dusk. Hedgehogs often investigate new smells by licking surfaces
- Keep chemicals, oil and old paint cans safely out of reach
Other ways to celebrate hedgehog awareness week
- Look out for our social media posts during Hedgehog Awareness Week and share them to spread the word
- Share your hedgehog sightings and photos with us on Facebook and Instagram
- Become a “hedgehog champion” by talking to your neighbours about creating highways. Contact EWG for advice and support
- Visit our website for more information and resources
- Try setting up a wildlife camera in your garden – it’s a brilliant way to discover what’s visiting at night.
A local success story
The Ealing Wildlife Group’s Hedgehog Highways project has been supporting residents in Hanwell to connect their gardens, creating safe routes for hedgehogs to move between green spaces.
Thanks to these efforts, we’ve received many reports of hedgehog sightings in the area. A fantastic sign that small actions really can add up.
One local resident, Mark Stanton, installed a wildlife camera and created a feeding area last summer after spotting a hedgehog in his garden. What he captured was amazing, regular visits from at least two hedgehogs using his garden as part of their nightly journeys. This spring, he’s already seen two hedgehogs return following winter hibernation. Mark’s wonderful camera footage can be viewed below.
Spotting hedgehogs in Ealing
Have you seen a hedgehog recently? Records of sightings are incredibly valuable. They help us understand where hedgehogs are still present and where conservation efforts are most needed.
If you’re lucky enough to spot one:
- Note the location and date
- Take a photo if you can (without disturbing it)
- Add your sighting to Hedgehog Street’s national Big Hedgehog Map
- Share your sighting with Ealing Wildlife Group
Even if you don’t see a hedgehog, signs like droppings, footprints or rustling at night can indicate they’re nearby.
And don’t forget, if you see a hedgehog, let us know!
When to be worried
Ealing Hedgehog Friends (EHF) have some excellent advice on their website on when to intervene and when to leave a hedgehog alone. Consider the following questions if you see a hedgehog:
- Hedgehogs are nocturnal so if you see one out during the day, and it is not moving quickly and purposefully, it usually means it is in trouble.
- Can you see a problem? Is it dragging a limb, wobbly or walking round in circles?
- Is it near a hazard, e.g. on a road
- Is it a young hoglet in trouble
For urgent help if you have a sick or injured hedgehog contact Ealing Hedgehog Friends at help@ealinghedgehogfriends.com
Gemma Holmes
Hedgehogs Officer, Ealing Wildlife Group
