What began as a routine election leafletting effort last year turned into a meaningful conservation initiative when Victoria Collins received a heartfelt letter from a young constituent passionate about saving hedgehogs. Touched by the child’s enthusiasm, Victoria arranged a visit to the Hornbeam Wood Hedgehog sanctuary to learn first-hand about wildlife conservation efforts.
The Hornbeam Wood Hedgehog Sanctuary is a respected family-run charity serving the Harpenden area, specialising in the rehabilitation of sick, injured, or underweight wild hedgehogs and hoglets. Their impact is significant, having successfully released over 300 hedgehogs back into the wild in 2021 alone.
During the visit, sanctuary volunteers educated Victoria and the family about effective nature conservation practices. The group even participated in installing a new bat box at the sanctuary, designed to provide a safe environment for bats to roost, raise their young, and hibernate.
Following the visit, Victoria said: “When I heard about the young person’s plight to save hedgehogs, I knew I had to do something to help. Their letter was inspiring - and their love of hedgehogs and interest in saving British wildlife was refreshing!
“I knew the Hornbeam Wood Hedgehog Sanctuary was the perfect place for our visit, and the sanctuary was not just informative, but accommodating too. I now know exactly how to help conserve hedgehogs, and discovered that baby hedgehogs are called hoglets! We even helped to install a bat box, further supporting local wildlife to thrive.
“I feel so lucky to represent a community that has such amazing charities - and young people that are so passionate in learning how to conserve our beautiful wildlife. I urge anyone who is passionate about conservation, and loves hedgehogs, to volunteer and get involved!”