Image by: Tom Marshall
Adopt a hedgehog
From just £15
An adoption is symbolic, meaning you won't be adopting an individual animal. Instead, your purchase helps fund Northumberland Wildlife Trust's important conservation work in both urban and rural locations, protecting and restoring wildlife and wild places across the region.
Hedgehogs need your help now
Hedgehogs are one of Britain's best-loved mammals, but their numbers have been declining for decades. They are now listed as vulnerable on Britain's Red List of mammals, and face growing pressures in both urban and rural areas.
By adopting a hedgehog through Northumberland Wildlife Trust, you can help support our conservation work and give wildlife a brighter future.
What's causing hedgehog numbers to decline?
Hedgehogs face a number of challenges, including:
- Habitat loss: Loss of nesting and foraging habitat through development (urban) and hedgerow removal (rural) - hedgehogs struggle to find somewhere to breed and hibernate, and to find enough food to survive.
- Habitat fragmentation: Fencing, lack of connectivity through hedgerows and new road networks – hedgehogs can’t move from garden to garden finding new mates and food sources creating isolated populations.
- Road casualties: Up to 335,000 hedgehogs are estimated to die on British roads annually. Habitat modelling suggests that suburbs and villages are hotspots, with 9% of Britain’s road network classed as dangerous for hedgehogs.
- Garden injuries: Hedgehogs are brought to rescue centres with garden injuries (for example from strimmers, netting, dog bites). We can help this by checking our gardens before using strimmers or mowers, leaving wild areas and checking compost heaps which can make cosy homes for hedgehogs.
- Lack of food: Pesticides and fertilisers can lead to poisoning and can largely reduce the insects and other invertebrates hedgehogs rely on.
Adopt a hedgehog and help wildlife
By adopting a hedgehog today, your money will go towards important conservation work such as managing nature reserves, creating new habitats and delivering educational activities to help more people understand how to protect this threatened creature.
Got a hedgehog lover in your life? Our adoptions also make great gifts! Just select ‘Buy now’ below and you can send your favourite hedgehog enthusiast an eco-friendly gift they’ll love.
Choose your hedgehog adoption
Digital hedgehog adoption – £15
Our digital adoption pack is a thoughtful, instant gift for anyone who loves hedgehogs.
You'll receive your fully digital pack by email as soon as your purchase is complete, ready to download and enjoy.
Your pack includes:
- A certificate of adoption
- A hedgehog fact sheet - learn all about these special animals and how you can help them at home in our own yards or gardens
- Hedgehog Help Guide wallet card to cut out and assemble at home, with advice on how and when to help a hedgehog
- An adorable hedgehog photo, perfect for your phone or computer wallpaper.
Buy a digital hedgehog adoption
Buying as a gift? You can download the pack and send it on yourself, or simply forward the email to the recipient.
Physical hedgehog adoption – £25
Make your gift extra special with our beautifully presented physical hedgehog adoption pack, featuring wildlife information and a selection of carefully chosen items.
Your pack includes:
- A certificate of adoption
- A hedgehog fact sheet - learn all about these special animals and how you can help them at home in our own yards or gardens
- A Hedgehog Help Guide wallet card, with advice on how and when to help a hedgehog
- A decorative wooden hedgehog plant pot for you to build and personalise however you like!
- A matchbox of wildflower seed balls to grow flowers that attract insects for hedgehogs to feed on.
Buy a physical hedgehog adoption
Buying as a gift? Add a personal gift message and choose to have the pack sent directly to the recipient or posted to you first.
It's a lovely gift for wildlife lovers of all ages, whether for a birthday, Christmas or simply to celebrate a love of nature.
Please note that you are not actually adopting a real creature, but the money will go towards important conservation work in urban and rural locations.
Our physical packs are shipped out by our team, so we may not be able to process them on the same day they are ordered. Dispatch typically takes 1–2 working days.