05 Feb New Homes for Wildlife at Warfield Park and The Paddocks🦔🏡
At Warfield Park and The Paddocks, it’s not just people who are settling into new homes — our wildlife is too.
This month, we’re celebrating one of our most charming local residents: the hedgehog. Hedgehogs may be small, measuring around 20–25cm in length, but they are full of character. With their wobbly walk, spiky coats and long snouts, they are a much-loved sight in gardens and green spaces. Mostly active at night, hedgehogs quietly roam in search of beetles, worms and caterpillars, and will often make use of food left out by kind homeowners.
Hedgehogs are also impressive hibernators. During the colder months, they curl up in cosy nests made from leaves and natural materials, reappearing in spring once temperatures begin to rise. Unfortunately, hedgehog numbers across the UK have declined sharply in recent years due to habitat loss, the use of pesticides and the barriers created by modern development.
That’s why we’re proud to be taking part in David Bellamy’s Blooming Marvellous Pledge for Nature, a national initiative that encourages parks and communities to make meaningful, positive changes for wildlife. Our chosen project for the year is the Home Sweet Home Challenge, which focuses on creating safe places for animals to live, nest and hibernate.
As part of this challenge, we’ve installed hedgehog houses around the park to provide sheltered, secure spaces for hedgehogs to rest and overwinter. With National Hedgehog Day taking place on 2nd February, it felt like the perfect opportunity to create these new homes and give our wildlife a little extra support.
Thoughtful design doesn’t just benefit residents — it plays an important role in supporting nature too. From hedgehogs to birds and insects, every small action helps to create a healthier, more balanced environment.
How you can help wildlife at home
There are plenty of simple ways to support hedgehogs and other wildlife in your own garden:
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Leave out fresh water and hedgehog-friendly food
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Create log piles, compost heaps and wild corners
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Add a hedgehog house or other safe retreat
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Make garden fences permeable so hedgehogs can move freely between spaces
Have you spotted a hedgehog in your garden recently? If so, we’d love to see it. Please share your photos or videos with us at enquiries@warfiedlpark.co.uk or on facebook .https://www.facebook.com/warfieldpark and help celebrate the wildlife that calls Warfield Park and The Paddocks home
Because here, it’s not just people finding a place to live — wildlife is too.
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