My name is Emma Onyejekwe, and I founded the Mitcham Hedgehog Project. I have always had a passion for animals, which inspired me to become a Registered Veterinary Nurse. My love for British wildlife began in 2020 when I volunteered at a local wildlife hospital, and that’s when I became especially fond of hedgehogs. Later that year, hedgehogs were classified as 'vulnerable to extinction' on the first official Red List for British Mammals. This realisation motivated me to do everything I could to help them.
In 2021, I volunteered with The Royal Parks Hedgehog Hero Survey, where I learned about the importance of hedgehog conservation. The following year, I volunteered with ZSL London Hogwatch on trail camera surveys and organised the first Hedgehog Survey on Mitcham Common with the Friends of Mitcham Common. In 2023, we conducted another survey, leading to the official launch of the Mitcham Hedgehog Project in May 2024.
The project's goal is to identify where hedgehogs are present in the residential areas and green spaces around Mitcham Common. We aim to support hedgehogs in our area by uniting the community and local stakeholders while promoting conservation efforts. These efforts include citizen science surveys, the creation of hedgehog highways, and the development of hedgehog-friendly greenspaces.