Pioneering new AI and citizen science framework could help reverse dramatic decline in hedgehog numbers and use community action to secure their future
Wildlife charity People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) has been awarded a £143,000 development grant by The National Lottery Heritage Fund to support a new hedgehog conservation initiative called Hedgehogs in Focus: tracking trends for community conservation. Thanks to National Lottery players, this initial support will lay the foundations for implementing effective monitoring of hedgehog populations and other wild mammals across England, which could play an important role in reversing the dramatic decline in hedgehog numbers recorded over recent decades.
By combining the power of local community action via citizen science with the latest AI technology, the project will create partnerships to deploy a nationwide network of camera traps to provide reliable, large-scale data on hedgehogs in different types of habitat. It will also evaluate the practicalities of training and deploying thousands of volunteers to manage and analyse the results. The work will transform how conservationists track hedgehog populations and, it is hoped, identify where action is needed most. With co-funding from project partners, the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS), the generous grant from the Lottery will enable PTES, BHPS and their partners at the Zoological Society of London and MammalWeb to bring together the capabilities of AI with people’s passion for hedgehogs.
Nida Al-Fulaij, CEO at People’s Trust for Endangered Species commented: ‘Hedgehogs in Focus is a pioneering initiative that will substantially advance our understanding of hedgehog populations across sites and regions in England and will be vital for directing conservation action. Building a citizen science camera trap network on this scale is ambitious, but we need a national monitoring programme that is both cost-effective and sustainable, while empowering thousands of volunteers to contribute meaningfully to scientific research.
‘By integrating technology and community engagement with wider partnership working across the sector, Hedgehogs in Focus will set a new standard for wildlife monitoring that can be replicated by others. This first phase is vital in realising the full project and I am delighted that The National Lottery Heritage Fund shared our vision for this work and has been able to support us and BHPS to take these important first steps to reverse hedgehog decline in a way that’s never been done before.’
Although the study will make the most of cutting-edge AI models, trained human ‘spotters’ will be a critical part of the research as the full survey will generate millions of images that will need to be correctly filtered and classified. Only a small proportion of the images will capture animals, so AI and other technologies will be developed to automate the initial filtering phase before the human ‘spotters’ take over to verify and refine the final results.
Stuart McLeod, Director of England, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: ‘Hedgehogs are one of the UK’s most loved and recognisable native species, yet their numbers have declined dramatically in recent decades. Thanks to National Lottery players, we’re delighted to give our initial support to People’s Trust for Endangered Species as they develop this innovative project, combining cutting-edge technology with the enthusiasm and expertise of volunteers across England.
“Hedgehogs in Focus has the potential to transform our understanding of hedgehog populations, generating the evidence needed to target conservation action where it can make the greatest difference. This project will help ensure that future generations can continue to enjoy and value these amazing animals as part of our natural heritage.’
Henrietta Pringle, Hedgehogs in Focus Development Officer, who will be leading on the work added: ‘Hedgehogs are in trouble and the many studies we have carried out over recent years continue to show a decline. I am really excited about this project as it is a great opportunity to gets lots of new people involved – both in the field and through online image spotting – who perhaps wouldn’t usually get engaged with more traditional surveys. We are very grateful to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for this critical development funding as it gives us the potential to develop the necessary partnerships to create a comprehensive picture of hedgehogs nationally, something which has not been possible until now.’
Fay Vass, Chief Executive for the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, which is jointly leading and co-funding this project, stated: ‘Our efforts to secure a future for hedgehogs will be more effective if we have a more accurate understanding of population location and density. We will then be able to better tailor conservation efforts for specific habitats and regions, which is urgently needed.’
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For more information, high-res images/night-time trail camera footage** and interview/filming requests, contact the Culture Communications Collective:
Alison Byard on alison@culturecommscollective.com or 07773 769915
Morag Wood on morag@culturecommscollective.com or 07976 081044
**Hedgehogs are a nocturnal species and therefore are not usually seen out during the day, unless they are moving nest sites or are unwell. BHPS and PTES therefore do not condone the filming of hedgehogs during daylight hours or indeed hold such footage and/or still images for media use. We ask that all media only use night-time or dusk footage and/or stills of hedgehogs – we have numerous stills and clips of hedgehogs in gardens (walking through Hedgehog Highways, eating, drinking, scratching, etc) which we can supply for that purpose. For more information see the TV Code of Conduct.
Notes to editors
- Henrietta Pringle, Hedgehogs in Focus Development Officer, PTES & BHPS
- Nida Al-Fulaij, CEO, PTES
- Silviu Petrovan, Strategy and Conservation Research Manager, PTES
- Grace Johnson, Hedgehog Officer, PTES & BHPS
- Fay Vass, CEO, BHPS
- Hugh Warwick
About Hedgehogs in Focus
- If successful, the development phase of Hedgehogs in Focus will create a blueprint for engaging communities to generate robust population estimates of hedgehogs in different sites and habitat types across the country possible. It will lay the groundwork for a national rollout of Hedgehogs in Focus that will create:
- A proven citizen science framework enhanced by cutting-edge AI, delivering a sustainable, nationwide camera-trap survey for hedgehogs and other mammals.
- A growing movement of communities engaged with nature across the country, including those discovering local wildlife for the first time and over 600 citizen science volunteers, operating out of a network of regional hubs who will be fully trained to generate this essential data.
- A clear understanding of the state of England’s hedgehogs, their population sizes, strongholds and weak spots. This will enable targeted, verifiable conservation actions delivered through the National Hedgehog Conservation Strategy, ultimately resulting in stronger, recovering hedgehog populations in healthier habitats.
- The National Lottery Heritage Fund development grant award includes funding for a Development Officer at PTES and 50% of a Machine Learning Expert at The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) to deliver the feasibility study, with the remaining 50% of the MLE being funded by project partners the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS).
About People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES)
- PTES, a UK conservation charity created in 1977, is ensuring a future for endangered species throughout the world. We protect some of our most threatened wildlife species and habitats, and provide practical conservation support through research, grant-aid, educational programmes, wildlife surveys, publications and public events.
- PTES’ current priority species and habitats include hazel dormice, hedgehogs, water voles, noble chafers, stag beetles, traditional orchards, native woodlands, wood pasture and parkland and hedgerows.
- Visit www.ptes.org and follow PTES on Facebook, Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.
About The National Heritage Lottery Fund
- Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. That’s why as the largest funder for the UK’s heritage we are dedicated to supporting projects that connect people and communities to heritage, as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033. Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.
- Over the next 10 years, we aim to invest £3.6 billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to make a decisive difference for people, places and communities.
- Find out more at: heritagefund.org.uk
- Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter/X, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLottery #HeritageFund
About The British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS)
- BHPS is a registered UK Charity, founded in 1982, dedicated to helping and protecting hedgehogs native to the UK (Erinaceus europaeus). Through our campaigns, advocacy and educational projects we work to raise awareness of the practical steps we can take to help reverse the decline of hedgehogs in the wild, improve their welfare and safeguard the future of this much-loved animal. We also fund research that provides important new insights into the conservation and welfare of hedgehogs.
- Visit www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk and follow BHPS on Facebook, Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn
Images: Top: A hedgehog captured by a trail camera – image credit National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme/Warwickshire Wildlife Trust [high-res images, and others, are available]; In-text: An image of a hedgehog – image credit Christopher Morgan.