{"id":33801,"title":"Wild Things Keyworth 2020-2023","description":"Wild Things Keyworth is a volunteer, not-for-profit community group who won the Celebrating Rushcliffe Awards, Environmental Group or Project of the Year (2021) and had an individual nomination and shortlist for Pride of Rushcliffe (2022).  WTK has been drilling gaps for hedgehogs - \u2018lifelines\u2019 through fences, walls and gates providing access to the gardens they need and filming results, in a project supported with funding from Severn Trent.  WTK has been appointing \u2018Super Hedgehog Carers\u2019 road by road who are like \u2018neighbourhood Hogwatchers","content":"

Wild Things Keyworth is a volunteer, not-for-profit community group who won the <\/span>Celebrating Rushcliffe Awards, Environmental Group or Project of the Year (2021)<\/u><\/span><\/strong><\/a> and had an individual nomination and shortlist for <\/span>Pride of Rushcliffe (2022).<\/u><\/span><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>

We have been drilling gaps for hedgehogs - \u2018lifelines\u2019 through fences, walls and gates providing access to the gardens they need and filming results, in a project supported with funding from Severn Trent. \u00a0<\/span>

We have been appointing \u2018Super Hedgehog Carers\u2019 road by road who are like \u2018neighbourhood Hogwatchers.\u2019\u00a0 We have been providing these households with hedgehog supportive items such as feed stations, houses, food, bowls and information so that hedgehogs have a reliable spot where they know they can get fresh water and food. \u00a0<\/span>

We do garden visits and the household is also versed in supportive changes and adaptations for hedgehogs and the procedure for hedgehog rescue if needed.\u00a0<\/span>

Wild Things Keyworth entered and won <\/span>Britain\u2019s Biggest Hedgehog Street<\/u><\/span><\/a> competition 2022, choosing Dale Road, Keyworth, to focus our efforts on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

We were able to link up with the \u2018Super Hedgehog Carer\u2019 we\u2019d established six months earlier on this road.<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

Also in 2022 and within a few days of each other \u2026<\/span><\/p>

We submitted an entry to the Tour of Britain National Land Art competition (2022) and worked with neighbours, Tracey, (idea and WTK Super hedgehog carer for her road), Liz Waddell Artist (design and WTK art consultant) additional invite Xinhua (Keyworth windmill logo and resident we\u2019d made gaps for) on delivering a timely and successful project to compliment our work to date drilling gaps (access points) for hedgehogs in the village and to continue to raise awareness about hedgehogs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Both projects had local, regional and global reach and hedgehogs again brought many people together.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Each element, Spike, Bike, Wording, Windmill were split down between the team to create the finished piece.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Materials varied along the way according to availability and what worked from the air, the timescale for the project was roughly 4 weeks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Some elements of the land art took longer than others and needed more practise and more support from valued helpers. For example around 160 pieces of wood were used for Spike itself and around 100 pieces of fabric, towels, curtains, table cloths were used for the wording. No one practise was ever the same but each time it seemed to get quicker and on the day we had enough support and finished an hour earlier than planned.<\/span><\/p>

The Tour of Britain National Land Art award 2022<\/u><\/span><\/a> was given for the finished installation, highlighting the use of recycled materials and the important message it evoked, namely, asking us all to think more about our red listed, forgotten hedgehogs, something that exemplifies that message with Spike\u2019s waving hand.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The wording highlighted the link to the project in the village with the aim of getting people thinking about a hedgehog highway near them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Both the above closing dates for Britain\u2019s Biggest Hedgehog Street and the Tour of Britain National Land Art competition were within two days of each other and these deadlines were managed by Wild Things Keyworth.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cThe \u2018Spike on a Bike\u2019 land art was universally popular not just for its humour and quality, but for its environmentally friendly artwork installation, using recycled objects and its success highlighting important issues.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Peter Hodges, Tour of Britain.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

In 2023, Wild Things Keyworth continues to make gaps for hedgehogs and to raise awareness and make challenges to help hedgehogs and other wildlife - approaching councils, fencers, housing developers. Wear one of our T-shirts and know that you are part of a movement to help wildlife.<\/span><\/p>

<\/p>

All of this was completely outside of my comfort zone. When the news came through that Keyworth had won Britain\u2019s Biggest Hedgehog Street, sadly I had COVID and so wasn\u2019t in all the media. The article was in The Times, The Daily Mail, The Nottingham Post. I was live on 5 Live and Radio Nottingham. On one day I had 3hours to get ready for an interview with veteran journalist and broadcaster, Alistair Stewart on GB News. As nerve-wracking as it was, I knew I had to \u2018do it for the hogs.\u2019 I thought it was to go on the radio but turned out it was radio and TV all at once. Alistair was so nice to be interviewed by, put me at ease.<\/span><\/p>

The thing is about hedgehogs we need the whole of the nation to rally for them and I went on with this in mind. Here is the interview: <\/span>Hedgehogs - YouTube<\/a><\/p>","urlTitle":"wild-things-keyworth-2020-2023","url":"\/blog\/wild-things-keyworth-2020-2023\/","editListUrl":"\/my-blogs","editUrl":"\/my-blogs\/edit\/wild-things-keyworth-2020-2023\/","fullUrl":"https:\/\/wildthingskeyworth.teemill.com\/blog\/wild-things-keyworth-2020-2023\/","featured":false,"published":true,"showOnSitemap":true,"hidden":false,"visibility":null,"createdAt":1700220179,"updatedAt":1701258385,"publishedAt":1701258385,"lastReadAt":null,"division":{"id":190827,"name":"Wild Things Keyworth"},"tags":[],"metaImage":{"original":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/6x8tx06het94t7lffogtsneda86s0efykkgjhe4o9wz44xju.jpeg","thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/6x8tx06het94t7lffogtsneda86s0efykkgjhe4o9wz44xju.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/6x8tx06het94t7lffogtsneda86s0efykkgjhe4o9wz44xju.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"metaTitle":"","metaDescription":"","series":[],"similarReads":[{"id":43095,"title":"HOGTOBER FEST","url":"\/blog\/hogtober-fest\/","urlTitle":"hogtober-fest","division":190827,"description":"Walk or run a mile in October and \u2018Be More Hedgehog. \u2019","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/au4hin30ims7etam3fugycf77ey2zr2l5e1vdbglmsamkhu2.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/au4hin30ims7etam3fugycf77ey2zr2l5e1vdbglmsamkhu2.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":44094,"title":"Autumn Update","url":"\/blog\/activity-update\/","urlTitle":"activity-update","division":190827,"description":"We completed and video logged our HOGTOBER FEST walk and covered 53. 6 miles over and above what we would do normally. This figure was based on a commitment to walk at least a mile a day, similar in distance to a hedgehog","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/rytw9pwezlzvmpa5oauvbmkhvcpq34sp0801ijskjn0aiqdq.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/rytw9pwezlzvmpa5oauvbmkhvcpq34sp0801ijskjn0aiqdq.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0},{"id":16393,"title":"Wild British Hedgehogs","url":"\/blog\/hedgehogs\/","urlTitle":"hedgehogs","division":190827,"description":"Erinaceus Europaeus is the hedgehog we call the Wild British Hedgehog. It is in serious need of human help and sadly has been overlooked for the last 70 years. So much so that hedgehogs are now on the red list and classed as 'vulnerable to extinction","published":true,"metaImage":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/fcx6tdnk2ufxdz3unyrrc5joraatgrizgbc86r6p7mmx43n1.jpeg.jpg?w=1140&h=855","banner":"https:\/\/images.podos.io\/fcx6tdnk2ufxdz3unyrrc5joraatgrizgbc86r6p7mmx43n1.jpeg.jpg?w=1920&h=1440"},"hidden":0}],"labels":[]}