Hedgehog Ecology and Management for Practitioners training course
A unique, one-day course for land managers and consultants to inform greenspace management in the UK to help the hedgehog.
This is the only training course in the world that provides a professional guide to hedgehog ecology, surveying and mitigation. This page describes what to expect from the course and has feedback from people who have already attended.
Course content
| Talk 1 | Ecology and behaviour – an overview of basic biology, ecology, behaviour, disease and rehabilitation |
| Talk 2 | Threats to hedgehogs and the law – urban and rural threats; UK conservation status and decline; UK legislation; the latest survey methods |
| Outdoor session | To reinforce theory |
| Talk 3 | Land management for hedgehogs – practical advice on management and mitigation |
Cost: £65 per person (introductory offer: reduced from £99 through a subsidy from BHPS).
Why do I need to attend this course?
Hedgehog numbers have declined by a third in the last decade in both rural and urban areas.
20 courses run so far in 8 regions
64% rating course “excellent” & 34% “good”
“I found the course very interesting and useful and will certainly be recommending it to colleagues.” Dr Peter Walker, RSK and Chair of Cotswolds Rivers Trust
This course is aimed at people involved in the management of public spaces or private amenity land. This includes consultants, landscape architects and developers. Immediately recognisable and popular with the public, hedgehogs provide a means to engage people in biodiversity issues and an intelligent focus for satisfying the requirements of the NERC Act. Hedgehogs are also frequently overlooked in ecological impact assessments. Small management changes can dramatically improve areas of land for this UK BAP species, potentially reversing its decline and enriching biodiversity more broadly.
| Organisations that have attended | Oxford Brookes University | Wildlife Trust for Cambs, Beds and Notts. |
| Adonis Ecology | South Glos County Council | Resource and Environmental Consultants Ltd |
| Westover Landscape | Herefordshire Wildlife Trust | London Underground |
| Suffolk AONB | Warwickshire Wildlife Trust | ZSL |
| Suffolk County Council | Oxford Brookes University | Royal Parks |
| Sinfield Trust | National Trust | Brent |
| RSPB | Vision Redbridge | Wadhurst Park |
| Derby County Council | Consultant Ecologist | Mouchel (infrastructure and business services) |
| ESL (Ecological Services) Ltd | Plincke Landscape Architects | ASW Ecology |
| Environmental Officer at Lindsey Marsh Drainage Board | Imperial College | Mudchute Park and Farm |
| Derbyshire Wildlife Trust | The Ecology Consultancy | London Borough of Lewisham |
| Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust | Bromley | Barking and Dagenham |
| Bracknell Forest County Council | Southwark | Kensington and Chelsea |
| Oxfordshire County Council | City of London Corporation | Cambridge City Council |
| BSG Ecology | Enfield | Lambeth |
| Forest Heath & St Edmundsbury Councils | Environment Trust for Richmond | Forest Heath & St Edmundsbury Councils |
This course has been produced in partnership with the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) and developed with hedgehog experts Dr Pat Morris & Dr Nigel Reeve.
Book your place
“The course on Friday was most excellent, thanks so much! a thoroughly informative day and has motivated us to think about hedgehog surveying the Canterbury area.” Kari Mcsherry, Native Ecology
View our current training course dates and book places here.
This is a rolling programme of dates and locations. Bespoke courses can also be arranged.
Contact henry.johnson@ptes.org for any further enquiries.