Save Chiswick’s last remaining hedgehogs

Images: Native hedgehog, British Hedgehog preservation society; Hedgehog highway hole; WildChiswick

WildChiswick wants more people to have holes drilled in their garden fences to create routes for hedgehogs to travel

WildChiswick had their annual general meeting last week, and if there was one message the director Joanne Gilbert would like people in Chiswick to take away from another year of work trying to look after wildlife in this area, it is this: we need to do more to save our hedgehogs.

There is just one remaining area where there is a hedgehog population in Chiswick – the Grove Park, Strand On the Green area, says Jo, but unless they can travel around more easily they will starve. WildChiswick makes ground level holes in garden fences to enable them to venture further afield.

“We have been busy promoting hedgehog highways and drilling them where people are happy for us to do so.  The main aim is to have the whole streets with hedgehog highways all the way through.

“Why bother?  Hedgehogs need to travel over a mile every night to find places to eat – worms, beetles, etc.  Therefore opening up gardens to them is very important so they can find food and also places to nest and hibernate.

“People worry about foxes, rats and cats finding their way into gardens via the 13cm hole we put in fences.  Foxes are too large to fit through this hole.  Rats and cats can seek entry this way however, they can also happily climb high fences and walls.  If they want into a garden, they will find a way!

“Whereas the short-legged hedgehog, which is on the British mammal red list, vulnerable to extinction, has no other way of getting over a fence or wall except through a small hole at the bottom.”

WildChiswick is keen to increase the holes in fences and walls in areas where hedgehogs can be found.  If you a homeowner who is happy to have a neat hole drilled for them in your fence, contact them on hogs@wildchiswick.com.

Images: Photographs taken at Staveley Allotments wildlife allotment sumitted to inaturalist –  Dragonfly larvae, European Robin, Ramshorn Snails 

Documenting our local flora and fauna

Jo has also been working for over a year to find out the best way for Chiswick residents to record fauna and wild flora species across Chiswick.

“If we do not know what species we have, we cannot ensure we protect the habitat they need, or create extra habitat areas,” she told The Chiswick Calendar.

She is encouraging people to  download the  iNaturalist app.

Image: iNaturalist is a social network for sharing biodiversity information to help each other learn about nature

“This is free and easy to use.  The data goes into a global database which is used by researchers, governments, councils and ecologists to work out plans for nature.

“iNaturalist information is also fed directly into Greenspace information for Greater London (Gigl), a charity gathering habitat and species recording across Greater London. This data is used by ecologists and local councils – including Hounslow to make decisions, for example, in their Nature Recovery Plans.

“If there is no recording of a certain species, then it will not be acknowledged as a priority species in local council plans as there is no evidence of them being there.”

READ ALSO: New at Dukes Meadows – monthly bird walks

WildChiswick has been working directly with Gigl to set up a species recording sheet which they hope to have on our website within the next couple of weeks, which would suit people who don’t have a smart phone or would prefer not to download the iNaturalist app.

Image: City Nature Challenge; Photograph by Nico Baum on Unsplash

City Nature Challenge

Each year cities across the world record as many species as possible. The City Nature Challenge for London is managed by the Natural History Museum, and iNaturalist is the app used to make the recordings.

Described as a “four-day global ‘bioblitz’ nature hunt”, it is a “friendly and fun competition to see who can gather the most observations of nature and find the most species.”

The dates are Friday 25 – Monday 28 April 2025. Those taking part (‘Citizen Scientists’) are asked to:

• See it – Find nature: during the event, explore in and around your home, in local parks and road verges, on the way to school or work, gardens or courtyards – anywhere you might find living organisms.
• Snap it – Take a picture: of wild plants, animals, or fungi that you find. If they are not wild, for example domestic animals or planted flowers, be sure to mark them as captive/cultivated.
• Share it – Share your observations: record what you find by clicking ’observe’ or ‘+’ on the iNaturalist app or upload your photos to uk.inaturalist.org.

WildChiswick has been showing people how to use the app and is happy to continue to do so, to encourage as many people as possible to take part in the City Challenge for London.

A short video on how to use the app:

Read more stories on The Chiswick Calendar