With great anticipation we awaited our first official event. And, I had the honour of hosting it. What excitement! The chance to build a hedgehog home. In my own garden.
8 eager helpers joined me on a chilly Saturday morning. Our garden coaches gave us some interesting facts about these wonderful creatures and then we set out to create the hedgehog home (which isn’t only intended for a hedgehog but a myriad of creatures be it insects, reptiles, birds and whatever comes its way). The ideal spot is a shady area that doesn't get waterlogged to keep the area dry and ensure that the hedgehog doesn't wake from hibernation too early in spring.
Two wooden beams (around 1m long and 10 cm "diameter") were positioned parallel to each other and about 30cm apart. Two additional beams, likewise 1m in length, 10cm "diameter" positioned about 30cm apart, were then placed across the two base beams to form the next level up. A third level was created in the same way. Finally, about 4 to 5 shorter pieces of wood measuring roughly 45cm long formed a roof-like structure over the top. Here are some pictures - they probably show the construct better than I can explain:
We then covered the wooden structure with leaves to form a nice cosy mound. Ideally this should come to 110 litres (or around at least 80cm high) but because we had a very warm and long summer, autumn has been delayed and the fallen leaves are in short supply. All this means is that I will top it up as the leaves continue to fall.
Finally, to keep all the leaves from blowing away in the winter gusts, some branches were positioned over the top. Here is what the end-result looks like:
The mound will not be moved or disturbed and remains a “living” habitat to which I will add leaves and branches as the years go by.
I’m curious to see what life this takes on and so, I’ll keep you all posted here on a regular basis.
For instructions on how to build your own mound, visit here: Igelzentrum
