31, March, 2022
It’s spring which means hedgehogs are now coming out of hibernation! However, with increased activity, comes increased risk. There are many factors that have led to the decline of the hedgehog population, including increased road traffic, loss of natural habitats and lack of food but there are ways we can help save Britain’s hedgehogs without even having to leave our home!
Social media can play a huge role in protecting wildlife, all you need to get started is a Facebook, Twitter or Instagram profile.
How can I make a difference using social media?
- Education is key
The first thing you can do is start by following accounts with a shared interest for hedgehogs and wildlife welfare. Some of our favourite accounts include Amazing Grace the Hedgehog and the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and our social media account, Spike’s Hedgehog Foods, also has a vast amount of educational resources and helpful tips. Making sure you are up to date with the latest news and advice around helping hedgehogs will make it easier for you then to be able to share this knowledge with your friends.
- Share relevant content
Whether you share advice and tips created by other social media accounts or if you decide to create your own image, status or video, this has the potential to be seen by a wide range of people. Following accounts with similar interests will help you build your own social community that will in turn help you get your message to the right people.
Social media has the power to shape and influence people’s opinions. If sharing one piece of educational information can encourage just one person to be more aware of hedgehogs in their local area, this could save a hog’s life. Hedgehogs are mysterious creatures that many people don’t know much about. Here are some of the key topics we would suggest sharing with your friends, family and peers on social media:
- How to spot an injured or sick hedgehog
- What food to provide for your local hedgehogs
- What you can do to care for them
- How to make your garden hedgehog friendly
- Take action
Petitions are a great way to make a real change either in your local area or nationally. Websites such as Change.org make it easy to get involved with existing petitions or you could even create your own.
Sharing these on your social media is a good way to help get others involved too. A recent survey, calling for hedgehog highways to be made a mandatory requirement in new build housing, has gone viral with the help of social media. If you’d like to get involved you can find the petition here.
- Support your local hedgehog rescue or charity
Using social media is the best way to connect with your local hedgehog rescue or charity. Although donating is a great way to help there are many other options that can be done through social media.
Engaging with your local rescue, whether that be commenting on their posts, sharing their content or messaging them to see what you can do to help, will all make a big difference. When you engage with another account’s content you are in turn increasing the amount of reach their posts will get which will help them spread awareness.
- Join community groups
In most towns, villages and cities there will be a Facebook page that people use to discuss local matters and share community news. These are great to help spread awareness of hedgehog activity in your local area and educate/inspire others to join you in helping put a stop to the declining hedgehog population.
You may find that there are already lots of people within your local community that are doing their bit to help or are interested in getting involved. If this is the case you could look into setting up a hedgehog specific Facebook group where you can share ideas and thoughts or meet up in your local area to discuss how you could take your initiatives further.
For hedgehog tips, advice and to chat to like-minded hedgehog lovers follow Spike’s Hedgehog Food on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.