An idea...

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[Mouse]

I know it's only a small idea in comparisson but I think I'll get in touch with our local countryside project.  They produce leaflets of activities aimed at children and are usually printed and sent out to all schools prior to the holidays. 

If I could get them to put something on the front page about the dangers of strimmers the children will notice even if the parents don't so hopefully they'll nag parents to look before strimming.

What do you reckon?

Would also like to say a big thank you to my friends who have been signing the petition - I've recognised about 20 names in the last 2 days 

[nicola123]

Good idea...I will goto my local shop again, they supply mowers and strimmers to the local area, last year they let me put up posters and cards, so I will ask them when they sell one or service one they will just mention the dangers and ask the users to be careful.

Although it does worry me that even if we get the message on these horrible machines will people heade them?  We really need to try and educate the public which I know will be near on impossible, but everyone I meet they get told about the dangers...in fact they think i am odd as at work I talk about nothing else, just i dont know, some ppl just do not care and how do we get around that?  Yes the stickers might help some and stop some which is fanastic, but how do we reach the wider public?

No just the hogs either but the whole thing, sorry off one one again!!

It just annoys me that now they are on the endangered list what is being done apart from what we all do?  How can we move this on, how can we reach everyone?  Walk to parliment with a hog?  Like the pig farmers did?  Some times when I talk to ppl about hogs I get the response "what do they do?"  Which as you will know makes me so angry as they are a part of our wildlife and one of the oldest surviving mamels in the country, but as they dont "do" anything ie we cant eat them, they have not got the importance, but then birds do get the press and the importance, its illegal to disturb a nest etc, is it the same for hogs now?  Sorry I am quite angry now.  The government should be making the warning signs on the horrible machines..why is it that good people like all on here give up time and money to do what we do (i know why) yet thousands of others could not even care less?  How do we combat this?

[Sarah_and_Mart]

how do we combat public awareness and perception about hedgehogs ?

two options I can think of:

1) is for a programme - possibly Springwatch - to make a big big thing about hedgehogs like they have done for blue tits, badgers, etc, forget about all the horror side of it - injuries, strimmers etc which will only turn people off, and really really endear the general public about hedgehogs, they are fairly cute creatures with big characters so it shouldn't be too difficult, make a real hedgehog blog, diary in the life of, etc.  It seems a lot of people have gone nestbox mad for bluetits etc so perhaps the same encouragement can be made for hogs;

2) start 'em off young.  I remember as a infant our teacher would make us frogs made out of scrap jeans, with big eyes and brightly coloured feet, and I went absolutely mad about frogs after that, I still am and have still got my frog from school (no aahs please); there was lots of pond dipping, activities and teaching about frogs, story telling, writing, keeping frogspawn and watching it develop, etc. The same must be possible for hedgehogs, if can get some teachers on board perhaps it could happen

Once people(children) really love and care about hedgehogs then you get more and more who will actively want to help them and do something about getting them off the endangered list. Educating people (adults?) who don't really care in the first place may have little or no impact.
If we can get a new generation to love hogs then that will have an impact for the future, and may even filter upwards to the adults for an earlier effect.

[Mouse]

I'll be qualified in a year so I'll spread the word (as I do now, not only to the children I teach but to anyone I come across, including my 16 and 12 year old sons' friends).

I kept on and on at springwatch and autumnwatch to mention the dangers of strimmers but nobody even

An out and out strimmer ban would be the best thing and let some of our natural environment come back into gardens.

I'd better go now before I go off on one too....

Ali x

[Hedgehogirl]

Yes thats a good idea
I think that kids take more time to look than the busy parents, and that age group tend to care about animals in general.
As long as the leaflet is colourful and attractive, they should be interested.

Well, I say 'they' - I'm just 13 

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