“I have a project for us,” says Dad.

“What?” I ask.

“We’re going to make a hedgehog highway!” he says. That sounds fun. But what is it?

Ever since we moved to England, we’ve loved hedgehogs. Sometimes we see them in the backyard of our new house. They are small and prickly. They roll into balls when they see us coming.

Dad explains that there are not as many hedgehogs as there used to be. People are taking over hedgehog habitats with their houses and stores. There are more roads and cars, which are dangerous for hedgehogs.

Dad heard that one way to help protect hedgehogs is to build them a special highway. The highway connects green spaces between people’s yards. That way the hedgehogs can find food and shelter without going near the road.

The easiest way to build a hedgehog highway is to make a hole in your fence. The hedgehog can go from your backyard to your neighbor’s backyard. Some people make multiple holes in different places in their yard. They might also add ramps, food, and nesting areas.

All over England there are more than 120,000 hedgehog highways that connect 240,000 yards. One village in Oxfordshire has over 60 connected houses in their hedgehog highway! Dad and I are starting the first hedgehog highway in our town. Time to make holes and spread the word!