© Victoria Hillman
A hedgehog hunt, children’s story time and sweet treats in the form of hedgehog cakes are some of the activities that will take place on Hedgehog Day on Saturday 15 June from 9.30am–3pm at Castle Gardens, Sherborne. The free event will be open to gardeners of all ages where they will learn about the prickly creatures and what can be done to reduce the dwindling number of hedgehogs in the UK.
Mike Burks, managing director of The Gardens Group, explains, “Hedgehogs are a gardener’s best friend, as they eat many pests such as slugs and snails, which means they don’t eat our prized plants. However, the number of hedgehogs is continuing to decline; it is thought that the population is decreasing by 6% each year on average. With this in mind we have decided to hold a day for children and their families to come and find out what they can do to halt this decline.”
Your day out with Mrs Tiggy-Winkle will include getting up close and personal with hedgehogs from Secret World Wildlife Rescue, while Dorset Wildlife Trust will have displays demonstrating how to look after hedgehogs that do venture into gardens. Children will be encouraged to take part in a drawing competition for the chance to win a Sylvanian family of hedgehogs and house. The team at Castle Gardens will have hedgehog friendly plants and log piles on show, which are the perfect place for them to nest.
