Mitcham Hedgehog Project

01/09/2026

We've checked and identified the footprints from the Grangewood Park & Whitehorse Meadow Footprint Tunnel Survey. We encountered quite a bit of disturbance to the tunnels (most likely from foxes - there's food present, so this isn't surprising). However, I am happy to report that we found hedgehog footprints in the park 🦔🥳. Unfortunately, we didn't find any hedgehog footprints in the Meadow, but we did find some hedgehog faeces near one of the disturbed tunnels.

We also observed footprints and signs from other animals, including cats, rodents, and foxes.

Thank you to everyone who took part in this survey. We will explore ways to make the Park and Meadow more hedgehog-friendly and will continue surveying neighbouring gardens.

If you'd like to get involved or stay updated, please subscribe to our mailing list (link in bio/comments).

This survey was funded by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society supported by Friends of Grangewood Park & Friends of Whitehorse Meadow

📷 Photo credit to Jason Williams

28/08/2026

It's been a busy week of surveying and it all started with our Hedgehog Detectives: Footprint Tunnel Workshop 🕵️🏽‍♀️🐾

Thank you to everyone who came along! It was a lovely afternoon teaching you all about footprint tunnels surveys, footprint identification and hedgehogs 🦔

Keep an eye out for our next post with the survey results🔍🐾

This event was supported by funding from the British Hedgehog Preservation Society. It was also supported by Friends of Grangewood Park.

17/08/2026

Join us for a fun, hands-on workshop where you’ll learn how to use simple footprint tunnels to monitor local wildlife without causing any harm or distress. It’s educational and a fantastic citizen science activity for all ages.

Want to take your detective work to the next level?

You can volunteer to join us over the following few days to check the tunnels. Please complete our google form or get in touch with us ☺️🦔

This event is proudly supported by funding from the British Hedgehog Preservation Society.

14/08/2026

Thank you to everyone who attended our talk last night. It was lovely to see so many people interested in protecting our local hedgehogs!

A big thank you to Grant and the Grangewood Bowling Club for hosting us. Also thanks to John (RSPB Croydon Local group) for letting me borrow their projector and Library of Things for renting out their projector screen ☺️

If you couldn't attend but want to get involved, check out the links in our bio and subscribe to our mailing list to stay updated 🦔🧡🩵💙

This event was supported by funding from the British Hedgehog Preservation Society

10/08/2026

Research project in Furzedown 🦔

Can you help with local hedgehog research? 🦔 Hogwatch London are collaborating with Furzedown Hedgehogs to monitor hedgehog activity and the impact of hedgehog highways in Tooting. Their research has identified the importance of garden habitats for hedgehog populations in urban areas, highlighting habitat fragmentation as a major threat to hedgehogs in London.

Hedgehog highway schemes aid in reducing this pressure by building a network of gardens, making green spaces more accessible for hedgehog populations.

If you’d like to get involved, you can do so by hosting a camera in your garden, filling out a questionnaire – or you may be able to install a hedgehog highway!

For more information about the project, including how to get involved, visit: https://www.londonhogwatch.org/projects/furzedown-hedgehog-highways

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08/08/2026

I can’t believe it’s already been a week since we launched our new initiative!

A huge thank you to the British Hedgehog Preservation Society for funding this work, and to ZSL London Hogwatch for their ongoing support.

With hedgehog season wrapping up at the end of September, time is of the essence! We have plenty of ways for you to get involved with the project before autumn arrives—swipe through the options.

You'll find links to our events and sign up forms on our Linktree - https://linktr.ee/mitchamhedgehogproject

Emma - Project Leader 🦔🧡🩵💙

01/08/2026

Did you know urban areas are becoming vital strongholds for hedgehogs?

Hedgehogs need our help, and the great news is that our local neighbourhood can make a massive difference!

Thanks to funding from the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and support from ZSL London Hogwatch, we are thrilled to launch ‘Connecting Communities for South London’s Hedgehogs’. Through this new initiative, we are expanding the Mitcham Hedgehog Project into Grangewood Park to map local populations and encourage the creation of safe pathways for our spiky neighbours.

Whether you have a garden, a balcony, or simply love spending time in our local parks, there are plenty of ways you can get involved:

🦔Survey your garden with a trail camera (Grangewood Park / Mitcham Common area)

🦔Join local footprint surveys, talks, and community workshops

🦔Help us map sightings across South London

Click below to find out more about our exciting new project and subscribe to our mailing list!

https://mailchi.mp/4fdd963f5be2/connecting-communities-for-south-londons-hedgehogs

🩵💙🧡🦔

31/07/2026

📢 New study published 📢

Road traffic is having a devastating impact on Britain's hedgehog populations.

A new study, funded by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) and People's Trust for Endangered Species, has found that road traffic kills 15–29% of hedgehogs in some local populations every year and is responsible for 38–41% of all recorded hedgehog deaths.

The research, led by conservation scientists at Nottingham Trent University, indicates that this level of mortality could push smaller, already vulnerable populations towards collapse and local extinction.

Read more: https://buff.ly/4X6Ena1