Surveying for hogs at Highgate Wood
As part of our work to enhance wildlife connectivity and ongoing Hedgehog Friendly Heath project, we support regular hedgehog monitoring programmes in partnership with ZSL’s London Hogwatch and the City of London Corporation.
Hedgehog captured on camera during a hedgehog camera survey
This year, the focus of the surveying work is Highgate Wood and surrounding areas including Queens Wood, to investigate any changes in population since a previous survey in 2017. We also want to explore the possibility of enhancing the potential wildlife corridor between Hampstead Heath (where we know there is a good population of hedgehogs) and Highgate Wood.
Our most recent Highgate Wood survey, back in 2017, only recorded one hedgehog! However, Heath Hands, the City of London’s Highgate Wood team and other nearby community groups have been working hard on conservation and connectivity initiatives in the past few years, and we have had some anecdotal reports of hog sightings at the Wood… so we’re very hopeful of recording more hedgehogs this time around.
Camera set up day
For those not familiar, hedgehog monitoring involves setting up wildlife cameras at knee height across a green space. For larger surveys with London Hogwatch, these cameras are set up in a random grid pattern, to provide scientific comparability from survey to survey.
Setting up cameras is a great team effort, with 12 people, a mix of Heath Hands staff and volunteers, ZSL staff and City of London colleagues taking part on the day. Many thanks to all who helped out!
Highgate Wood camera set up day briefing
The cameras will be left out for 3 weeks, during which time they will capture footage of anything moving in front of the camera. Volunteers will then help gather the cameras and the ZSL team will remove all humans from the footage, upload the images to web platform and people can then get involved by identifying what was captured on the footage.
Kate from London Hogwatch demonstrating a camera set up
Setting up wildlife cameras
Other sites
The camera grid across Highgate Wood and Queen’s Wood
We’re glad that the Friends of Queen’s Wood are, once again, also taking part in the survey on their site, which will provide valuable information on hedgehog distribution in the area.
In addition, as part of this year’s project, the plan is to survey nearby sites, such as allotments, private gardens or open spaces to see whether any hedgehogs can be seen in the vicinity of the green spaces, and, in particular in the area between Hampstead Heath and Highgate and Queen’s Wood.
Getting involved
Check out our what’s on page for upcoming walks and workshops explaining our conservation and connectivity work.
We’ll also be sharing the link to the Highgate Wood footage in our newsletters and on this website so you can help process the footage - watch this space, or sign up to our newsletter, or follow us on Instagram or X.
If you would like to support our conservation work please visit here.
