Sharing Heritage
The Friends of Brandwood End Cemetery (FBEC) were worried they had not seen as many hedgehogs as in the past. They joined with Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust (BBCWT) and Birmingham City Council Park Rangers to use tunnels and camera traps to monitor how many hedgehogs visited the cemetery.
To improve habitats they created log piles and bug hotels and worked with volunteers from Sheds to build ‘hedgehog house’ kits to donate to local residents for their own gardens.
A community film-maker trained pupils from two primary schools to create their own documentary. Family friendly community events with storytelling and trails highlighted how locals could help by leaving gaps in fences and logging hedgehog sightings on the BBCWT website.
The cemetery is still maintained to benefit wildlife, with any fallen trees turned into log piles rather than chipped, and the project’s resources on its website have inspired other groups to plan their own projects.
Jane Edwards, Secretary of FBEC, said: “Our aims included getting local residents to visit the cemetery, as the Victorians designed it as an arboretum as well as a cemetery, for people to visit and enjoy its diverse environments.”