Our first Hedgehog map

23/05/2018

In April 2018, we contacted our members, and asked them to spend the first week in May 2018 counting their local hedgehogs. They then submitted their sightings. The result of all that collaboration is our first map shown below. Each turquoise dot represents a reported hedgehog sighting. To learn more, please double click on our map. 

We used QGIS software to create this map because QGIS is open source, and is therefore consistent with the 'open' and community-focused approach of Felixstowe's Community Nature Reserve. We also regard QGIS software as being equally appropriate to our work as any of the ESRI products.

Counting wildlife is inevitably problematic, particularly where it has not been possible to use tracking collars. However, there are still at least three clear benefits to completing this mapping exercise in the way we were able to do it. First, we can confirm that there were 42 reported sightings of hedgehogs in the parts of Felixstowe shown on our map. Second, we have learned to work as a team on this type of work. Collaborative data collection and mapping has therefore become an achievable reality for Felixstowe's Community Nature Reserve. Third, we have been able to encourage local people to become more aware of their local hedgehogs through their participation in this project.

Over the coming weeks and months, we hope to create further maps to include other hedgehog data which has been submitted by our members from Trimley and Kirton. At this stage, we do not intend to extend our Hedgehog Count any further north than Kirton. 

Black Mountain Lodge | 2015 | Welcome to the mountains
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