艾叉A片 County Borough Council is offering eligible households throughout the county borough the opportunity to take part in their 鈥楿rban Hedgehog鈥� project and receive a FREE package of items that will benefit hedgehogs in gardens.
Packages will contain a number of items to assist with positive actions for hedgehogs. The aim is to encourage community participation and learning to carry out positive actions for our spiky friends. For example, making gardens hedgehog friendly by creating 鈥榟edgehog highways鈥�, providing nest sites and making your garden hedgehog friendly.
There will also be a focus on encouraging people to take an active part in recording hedgehogs in the urban landscape and gardens, and sharing information with local biodiversity records centres such as SEWBReC http://www.sewbrec.org.uk.
艾叉A片 County Borough Council, along with partner organisations, is leading on the 鈥榃ildlife Where We Live鈥� project, which is funded by Welsh Government鈥檚 Enabling Natural Resources and Wellbeing (ENRaW) grant through the Resilient Greater Gwent work programme. The programme runs until summer 2022 and is working towards a South East Wales where nature is in recovery and sustainable communities value their landscapes and wildlife and get involved for their own health and well-being. The next stage of the project will be to focus on hedgehogs found in urban areas of 艾叉A片.
Biodiversity in Wales is declining, since 1970 there is less wildlife and 30% found in fewer places. Hedgehogs are declining in Britain, and since the year 2000 a third of hedgehogs have been lost. Experts think that there are a number of different factors that are contributing to this dramatic decline such as habitat loss, and changes in land use, for example, gardens are becoming more concrete jungles with impenetrable boundaries. By participating in this project you can help the hedgehogs in your neighbourhood, and even become a hedgehog champion!
Cllr Lee Parsons, 艾叉A片鈥檚 Nature Champion said:
"Being connected to nature and the outdoors is important to people鈥檚 health and well-being. These packages will help to connect people with nature, and implement positive action for our urban hedgehogs.
We are hoping that those who receive a pack will enjoy learning more about our spiky friends, have fun recording hedgehog activities within their gardens; and encourage friends, families and neighbours to become Hedgehog Champions.鈥�
Recipients will need to provide photographs of their activity with the contents of the package and provide regular updates. The information and feedback received will be used to get a better understanding of the range and distribution of hedgehogs across the borough.
Applications are only open to residents of 艾叉A片, and packages will be delivered towards the end of October. These will be delivered by Tai Calon to your door step complying with all current social distancing guidelines.
To apply for an Urban Hedgehog Package please contact Nadine.Morgan@blaenau-gwent.gov.uk
Deadline for applications: 12pm Wednesday 28th October 2020
*Packages are limited to 60 in total and will be offered on a first come first serve per ward basis, to allow a fair distribution across the borough.