Initiative to raise awareness about how gardeners can help hedgehogs bats and other wildlife

Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust and our University's Botanic Garden are encouraging gardeners across the two counties to help hedgehogs this autumn, as part of the national Wild About Gardens Week (24—30 October).

The week is a joint initiative by the Royal Horticultural Society and the Wildlife Trusts to encourage people to support local biodiversity in their gardens.

This year a special event is being hosted by the Botanic Garden on Saturday 22 October which is an initiative designed to raise awareness among gardeners about how they can help wildlife, and bats in particular.

This is more important than ever. More than half of the thousands of UK animal and plant species have declined in the past 50 years for a range of reasons including loss of habitat. Many of our common garden species, like hedgehogs, house sparrows, starlings and common frogs for example, are becoming much less common. This is where gardeners can make a difference, by making their own gardens and the green spaces in their communities more wildlife friendly.

Rachel Ibbotson, Education Officer for Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, said: “Whatever size your garden is you can help wildlife. There are around 15 million gardens in the UK which could be a huge ‘nature reserve’ for wildlife if we all make a bit of space for nature."

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