Primary pupils pledge to protect VIP visitors

A green carpet has been rolled out for very special visitors to West Barn Primary School – hedgehogs!

Hedgehog numbers are in decline which also impacts the wider eco-system. Determined to play their part in supporting these VIPs (Very Important Prickles), West Barns Primary School has signed up to Sustaining Dunbar’s Pledgehog Project to secure a ‘Hedgehog Friendly School Award’.

Protect, enhance and educate 

To achieve the accolade the school is working through a hedgehog-friendly toolkit that will see them protect the species, enhance habitats and educate others. They have already completed several activities: creating hedgehog habitats, leaving areas of grass uncut to increase bug life, planting native hedges, creating hedgehog display boards and carrying out litter picks. They will find out in June if they have reached their goal.

West Barns Primary and Sustaining Dunbar are also working closely with our Amenities team to make wildlife friendly improvements to the school grounds. Hedgehogs are susceptible to serious injuries from strimmers so Amenities colleagues check all areas carefully before carrying out their duties.

Amenities team support 

Our Dunbar Depot Manager Gordon Whitelaw says the team is pleased to be involved: “Hedgehogs are crucial for maintaining biodiversity and we’re pleased to play our part in protecting them. We’ve been raising awareness amongst our teams to check for hedgehogs when they’re working in West Barns Primary school’s grounds as well as other areas we look after. We’re delighted to be part of Sustaining Dunbar’s Pledgehog project.”

Sustaining Dunbar’s Jen Walker adds: “It’s fantastic that the school is getting so involved with learning about hedgehogs and doing their bit for hedgehog conservation. These much-loved mammals are now classed as ‘at risk of extinction’, so the work they are doing is important to help this declining species. There are hedgehogs around West Barns so I hope that the school grounds will be a natural haven for them to shelter, feed safely and hopefully breed in the future.”

Top tips for creating hedgehog friendly spaces:

• leaving a small area of your garden to grow wild can attract more bugs for hedgehogs to eat and provide them with somewhere to hide
• avoid pesticides of poisonous chemicals that could harm hedgehogs or other garden visitors – hedgehogs love to eat slugs so poisoned slugs are toxic to them
• be hedgehog aware throughout the year, especially when strimming, before turning over compost heaps or before lighting any bonfires
• plastic litter can be harmful to hedgehogs as can attacks from dogs
• did you know that milk can be bad for hedgehogs? Clean fresh water is best. Meaty hedgehog, cat or dog food or dry cat biscuits is suitable and scattering in a quiet part of your garden can encourage natural foraging

 Check out more tips from WWF or sign your own Pledgehog at Sustaining Dunbar’s website.