Gavin Williamson, MP for South Staffordshire, is supporting Staffordshire Wildlife’s ‘Last hedgehog in Staffordshire’ campaign.
The campaign details why hedgehog numbers have been plummeting recently with the destruction of pastures and fields that used to provide food and shelter, one of the reasons. Alternative reasons include the removal of hedgerows and pesticides killing off the insects that hedgehogs feed on.
After reading about the campaign Gavin decided to build his own hedgehog house in the garden hoping to attract visitors to protect them during the winter months.
Gavin is a regular visitor to the West Midlands Hedgehog Rescue Centre in South Staffordshire who have cared for 5000 hedgehogs over the past 15 years. He also was present in the House of Lords when Joan Lockley, who runs the rescue centre, was honoured by the IFAW for her work protecting hedgehogs.
Commenting on the campaign Gavin said: “I was sad to discover the declining number of hedgehogs after learning more about the ‘Last hedgehog in Staffordshire’ campaign so I thought I’d play my part in increasing the number of hedgehogs in our garden by building my own hedgehog house. They provide shelter for hedgehogs during the winter months. Our gardens provide perfect places for nesting sites for hedgehogs so they can be in a good condition before their hibernation periods.
“I hope that with Staffordshire Wildlife’s campaign we can find a way to help the hedgehogs and see a rise in their population in the future.”