How to help hedgehogs if you don’t have a garden

14th September 2022

Hedgehogs can thrive in gardens, and advice for helping hedgehogs often centres around small, simple changes that will make a big difference. But how can you help hedgehogs if you don’t have a garden, or if you’re renting one and can’t make too many changes?

No garden? No problem!

Don’t worry – you can still help our prickly pals! Here are some ideas…

• Contact your local council to highlight the importance of managing public land with hedgehogs in mind. Think about park and greenspace management companies too. Our Hedgehog Ecology and Land Management guide is useful to pass along.

• Contact local developers to let them know how they can help by making new-build sites accessible for hedgehogs and raising awareness with new homeowners. Pass along our Hedgehogs and Development guide and let them know about our other work with developers.

• Share social media posts from PTES or BHPS about helping hedgehogs, to raise awareness and reach new audiences.

• Talk to friends, family and neighbours about hedgehogs and how to help them. You could give people our Top Tips leaflet to help get them started.

• Contact local fencing companies to make them aware of hedgehog highways and their importance. Some hedgehog-friendly fencing options exist on the market, but we always need more!

• Join local conservation or ‘friends of’ groups – membership isn’t usually expensive and it’s a great way to get into volunteering (and you can speak to them about hedgehog conservation!). The above Hedgehog Ecology and Land Management guide can be useful to share.

• Contact sports clubs; grass pitches can provide good foraging habitat and clubs can help by providing access through hedgehog highways. Think golf clubs, rugby clubs etc.

• Volunteer with a local hedgehog rescue. BHPS have a directory of rescues all over the UK and many of them are in need of extra hands.

• Help other wildlife with bird feeders on balconies, window boxes planted with wildflowers for pollinators, bug hotels etc.

Rented garden?

If you’re limited in how much you can change your rented garden, don’t worry – even the smallest changes can make a big difference. Hedgehog highways (13cm x 13cm gaps in fences to let hedgehogs in) can be dug under fences, rather than cutting a hole. A designated wild patch in the garden is another way to help. Stopping mowing and allowing wildflowers to grow will encourage insect prey for hedgehogs. Longer grass will also provide nesting material. Supplementary food and hedgehog houses can also be good options for helping without changing the garden too much. Log piles and leaf piles are also very beneficial (and not too permanent!).