SCHOOLS all across Blaenau Gwent are taking part in a project to protect hedgehogs.

On March 23, Jo Wilkins from Hedgehog Friendly Campus contacted Blaenau Gwent council's biodiversity officer asking if primary schools within Blaenau Gwent wanted to be part of a trial project to become Hedgehog Friendly Schools.

Ms Wilkins said that hedgehog friendly schools scheme is funded by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and aims to make primary schools in the UK safer and more welcoming for hedgehogs.

"Hedgehogs are now vulnerable to extinction in Britain, with up to 50 per cent declines since the millennium due to habitat loss and development, roads and garden hazards," she said. "They need all the help they can get.

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"We're thrilled that eight Blaenau Gwent primary schools registered to take part. The schools are part of a limited trial year and have already been running hedgehog footprint and wildlife camera surveys, litter picks, planting hedgehog-friendly plants and doing their bit to raise awareness of hedgehog decline in their local community."

The trial project had 20 places to fill and by the end of the first day Blaenau Gwent Primary schools had signed up for six places and others went on to the reserves list. Now there are eight of the 20 places across the national pilot.

Teams, made up of staff and pupils, from Beaufort Hill Primary School, Coed-y-Garn Primary School, Deighton Primary School, Rhos y Fedwen, Sofrydd Primary School, St Illtyd's Primary School, St Joseph’s Primary and Willowtown Primary School are all now taking extra steps to make their school grounds a better, safer place for hedgehogs.

As part of the resilient greater Gwent project funded by Welsh Government, Blaenau Gwent council have also been running an urban biodiversity project with Tai Calon and people within the community.

The Hedgehog Friendly Campus team are excited to see such enthusiasm from their primary schools to support them in taking steps to improve places for nature where ever they can and for making Blaenau Gwent better for biodiversity.

For more information, ways to get involved and actions to take look on line at https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/ and go to @hogfriendly where people can find out more about what's happening across the UK.