Back in March, attendees voted for hedgehogs and citizen science as the theme for this session, and together with our brilliant speakers and volunteers, we created an evening full of inspiration, learning, and hands-on activities. 

Emma Cartledge opened the event with a keynote talk on the National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme, highlighting how camera traps and volunteer recorders are giving us vital insights into hedgehog populations. She encouraged everyone to sign up as a volunteer on MammalWeb – a simple way to make your own recordings count towards national data. 

We then heard quickfire lightning talks. Sue from NG16 Help Hedgehogs gave us a fascinating overview of a hedgehog’s life cycle, how to identify them by their poo, and what SOS signs to look out for with sick or injured hedgehogs – along with clear advice on what to do if you find one in need. Ellie Wellie’s Organic Gardening shared five top tips for making your garden hedgehog-friendly, illustrated with her own beautiful watercolour paintings. And youth group Keeping It Wild spoke about their hedgehog efforts at Woodthorpe Meadows and the power of youth-led nature action. 

A lively panel Q&A followed, before attendees enjoyed pizza and networking in the café. 

For the second half of the evening, everyone explored citizen science stations, where they could try trail cameras, footprint tunnels, wildlife apps, and hedgehog highways and nesting boxes. The creative corner gave people the chance to slow down and get hands-on too – making a hedgehog out of a folded book or designing their own hedgehog jigsaw puzzle. 

The energy in the room was buzzing, with one attendee commenting:  

“The speakers all did a brilliant job, their presentations flowed so well from one to another.” 

What people are taking away 

On our Pledge Wall, people shared one action they’ll be putting into practice: 

• “Create better conditions for hedgehogs in my garden”
• “Get involved with citizen science projects through MammalWeb”
• “Make my pond more hedgehog friendly”
• “Use MammalWeb” 

Vote for the next Wild Exchanges theme! (Deadline Monday 8^th September) 

Wild Exchanges is a space led by the community, for the community – and that means you get to decide what we focus on next. Our Christmas Special will take place at Attenborough Nature Centre on Wednesday 26th November (5.30–9pm), and we’d love you to help shape it. 

Please cast your vote by 8th September. You can also vote by visiting menti.com and entering the code 6674 4198. 

Options so far include: 

• Communications – getting the word out effectively (e.g. social media, campaigns, storytelling)
• Fundraising – creative ways to raise money in a tough climate
• Scaling up your conservation efforts – whether at home or within your community group
• Otters – learn more about their lives, habitats, and how communities can support them
• Native birds – explore the species around us and how to help them thrive
• Other – please contact us with your idea 

Wild Exchanges is all about connection, collaboration, and community action. If you’d like to get involved, get in touch to find out more. 

We can’t wait to see you at the next gathering – and in the meantime, don’t forget to keep those hedgehog highways open!