"[Hedgehogs] play an important role in both this country's heritage and natural environment." - Elizabeth Truss, environment secretary.

Defra works with wildlife charities to provide advice on helping hedgehogs

The UK environment secretary has lent her support to campaigns which aim to protect hedgehogs and their habitats by encouraging the public to turn their gardens into a ‘hedgehog haven’.

Speaking on Friday 23 October, environment secretary Elizabeth Truss shared simple ways that people can help hedgehogs at home and reminisced on her fond childhood memories of spotting a hedgehog in the garden.

She went on to add: “I want to ensure children for generations to come can enjoy this special sight, but this can only happen if everyone does their bit to look out for these important creatures.

“That’s why we have developed these simple tips to help adults and children alike learn more about our precious wildlife and how we can all support it.”

Defra has collaborated with the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and the People’s Trust for Endangered Species to produce a list of five steps people can take to create a hedgehog haven in their gardens.

These five tips to help hedgehogs are:

1. Provide shelter using log piles and hedgehog houses
2. Let areas of the garden grow wild to imitate a hedgehog’s natural habitat
3. Do not use pesticides on plants
4. Leave out water, meaty dog or cat food and cat biscuits
5. Install a gap in fences or walls – known as a ‘hedgehog highway’ – to allow hedgehogs to easily move between gardens.

The creation of these tips precedes a new government campaign which will provide one million native British trees to schools and local communities. They also support Defra’s 25-year environment plan to protect and enhance the country’s natural environment, which will be published later this year.