The Year That Was 2017

2017 was a year of successes and a year of frustrations. So, I wanted to share with you some of the highs and a lows. So here goes!

Our volunteers and supporters 
As always without the physical help and the generous support of the local vets and our supporters I'd never be able to do the work with the hedgehogs that I do. So thank you to the following vets for their continued support:

• The A120 Medivets
• Stansted Abbots Medivets
• The Bishop's Stortford Veterinary Hospital 
• Mercer and Hughes

One of the many lovely paths
in Birchanger Woods

Plus:

• Elaine - for taking on our latest disabled hedgehog
• Monique - for stepping in to take hedgehogs when we couldn't
• Rob and Di, Maddi and Helen - for being fab fosterers
• Michelle, Jayne, Michelle, Anne and Phil - for taking on the care and release of our successes
• Pat from Mutts in Distress for your support and supply of towels.
• Karen for running a quiz night for us and raising a staggering amount!
• Pat (warden of Birchanger Woods) - for your continued care of our two disabled hedgehogs and  allowing us to use the woods as a release  site 

AND everyone who kindly and generously donated either much needed supplies or cash!

Stats - calls

The shed after its revamp

I never keep a log of the phone calls I take but I'm guessing it's in the low hundreds. However, I've taken more calls this year from outside the area we cover. For example I've spoken not only to those local to us but also people in Watford, Hatfield, Luton plus a few from the other side of London.

Stats - costs
Last year was an expensive year with our paid for outgoings of just over £1,600. This figure doesn't include the generous donations that were paid directly into our local vets to cover vet bills (this was a couple of hundred - so THANK YOU). However, it does include the purchase of a lovely new hutch and run and the revamp of the shed (both we were only able to do because of all those lovely people who came along to the quiz night organised by the even more lovely Karen). I've just completed the end of year books and we're in credit! It may be just under £10 but we've covered all our bills for 2017 - so I'm a very happy hog carer (because that doesn't happen often).        

Stats - Hedgehogs
Since keeping records (prior to the year 2000 I didn't bother) we've had 761 hedgehogs come to stay in the hedgehog shed. This year we took in and cared for 42 hedgehogs (I only count those who come into the shed, not those who sadly didn't make it to us because they died at the vets). Of those 42, 19 survived and 23 died. Unfortunately the high mortality rate this year was because of the salmonella outbreak. It was perhaps one of the hardest times I've had to go through with the hedgehogs.  

Came in around 75 grams each.
That's a 50p next to them!

Ending on a high
Although part of this year was the hardest it's always outweighed by the successes and without a doubt these six little bundles of cuteness were that success. Sadly their mother died but the person who found them acted quickly and got them to us whilst they were still in good health. It may have taken a lot of late nights and a lot of very early mornings but all six survived and were released in late summer. Their survival is also due to the  wonderful 'day care' service provided by everyone at the A120 Medivet. I wouldn't have been able to juggle caring for them and keeping down a day job without that support.

Your continued support
Just before Christmas I was informed by Waitrose in Bishop's Stortford that we're in their blue token charity pot for January. So if you shop in Waitrose or know someone who does please do pop that blue token in our slot.

Lastly THANK YOU for your support during 2017 - it is appreciated more than you'll ever know.

Birchanger Woods Helping Support Our Hedgehogs

A few years ago I was contacted by Pat the warden from the Birchanger Woods Trust. He and the other volunteers wanted to repopulate the woods with hedgehogs. Sadly they like many places have seen a once healthy hedgehog population crash. So they were offering the woods as a release site. Also even though they are a trust and totally run by volunteers and are self-funding they were also happy to donate money and time to achieve this. They have worked extremely hard and spent quite a lot of money to achieve something wonderful. We now have:

• A second shed for fattening hand-reared hoglets
• Two soft release runs 
• A purpose built escape proof area for a disabled hog
• Willing volunteers to help care for a disable hog and to assist in soft releases

Today I visited the woods and wanted to share what they've achieved with you in this post. 

Firstly we'd like to thank the family of Peter Gardner, who donated money to the trust in his memory and agreed to allow that money to be used towards the hedgehog shed. 

A front view of the shed with one of the small soft release runs. These have already been used to release 3 hogs into the woods. These we will continue to use for hoglets that have been hand-reared or hedgehogs who can be released but not to the area they were rescued from. A small door allows the resident to wander between the outside run and an inside sleeping and feeding area.     

Part of the fully escape proof area that will be the new home to a hedgehog that cannot be released back into the wild, typically this is because they have been left disabled. As you can see it has been left to become 'wild.' In the middle is a large log pile that hides a waterproof outside home. 

The area behind the log house and to the right of the shed. As you can see the vegetation is ideal for hogs to grub around in and under whilst they look for those juicy bugs they love. 

The door between the inside feeding/bed area into the escape proof area and as you can see even a little path has been provided.  

Last but not least any hogs that are released into the woods have this natural jewel to explore and make their home. 

As I've mentioned we've already used the soft release runs and for the first time in a long time Pat has seen hedgehog droppings in the woods. This is obviously wonderful news and something we can build on. Now all we need is some hedgehogs to release. 

If you'd like to visit Birchanger Woods please follow this link to download their brochure.