Why are conservation groups so “stupid”?

[Bald Rick]

OK, so the thread title is deliberately provocative but I saw that a “National Hedgehog Strategy” was launched yesterday as a joint venture between The People’s Trust for Endangered Species & the British Hedgehog Preservation Society plus 30 other NGOs and academic institutions
Now, the Sainted Isle actually does have the wee beasties so I thought I’d see how the strategy aims to address the decline across Britain as a whole.
Well, the summary suggests 6 ways to address the key threats vis

1. arrest decline in food sources and habitat loss
2. Vehicle collisions
3. Mortality and stress due to human intervention
4. Accidental death and misadventure (no, me neither)
5. Toxin accumulation
6. Genetic isolation

National Hedgehog Conservation Strategy - The British Hedgehog Preservation Society

www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk

Then I noted who the patron of BHPS and author of the foreword to the strategy, one Megan McCubbin (aka daughter of Chris Packham) and the clouds were lifted from my eyes

I have even taken the time to glance through the whole strategy …

https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/National-Hedgehog-Conservation-Strategy.pdf

… and found not a single mention of the B word. Plenty about workshops and visions though.

What a time to be alive

 

[Nearly]

They choose to be.

 

[delilah]

Tbf any initiative looking to garner public support needs to aim itself at where the majority of the public live. Badgers aren't killing our urban hedgehogs.

 

[roscoe erf]

They choose to be.

It’s bred in em

 

[Chae1]

Conversation

 

[Adeptandy]

Tbf any initiative looking to garner public support needs to aim itself at where the majority of the public live. Badgers aren't killing our urban hedgehogs.

Something has wiped them out around here and it’s seem a bit more than a coincidence that the badger population has multiplied

 

[upnortheast]

Something has wiped them out around here and it’s seem a bit more than a coincidence that the badger population has multiplied

Same here

 

[steveR]

Something has wiped them out around here and it’s seem a bit more than a coincidence that the badger population has multiplied

And conversely, there is a large number of reports from cull areas, where ground nesters and small mammals have increased again, in some cases massively.

Coincidence...? I think not.

 

[Hill Ground]

It was the conservation crowd that got the badgers protected, admitting they were responsible for the hedgehog decline would be bad pr to put it lightly!!

100% true, but still bad pr!

 

[steveR]

It was the conservation crowd that got the badgers protected, admitting they were responsible for the hedgehog decline would be bad pr to put it lightly!!

100% true, but still bad pr!

Like Packtwat not acknowleging thr truth about Badgers swimming across to an Island and decimating the nesting bird nests...

BBC Naturewatch type programme as I recall?

 

[delilah]

Something has wiped them out around here and it’s seem a bit more than a coincidence that the badger population has multiplied

Same here

And conversely, there is a large number of reports from cull areas, where ground nesters and small mammals have increased again, in some cases massively.

Coincidence...? I think not.

You all in town then ?

 

[steveR]

You all in town then ?

Well a few miles apart.....

 

[delilah]

My point - which appears to have been missed by the responses to my post - is that the urban hedgehog isn't in decline due to badgers. I appreciate this may come as a shock to some on here, but wildlife conservation, and the campaigns to promote it, isn't the preserve of farmland and farmers.

This campaign is quite right to focus on the 6 points in the OP. Because they are all things that the urban dweller can do something about.

 

[Adeptandy]

You all in town then ?

Large village, badgers all over FB in people’s back gardens in the heart of the village

 

[DrWazzock]

When I lived town a badger killed a hedgehog on my drive.

 

[Adeptandy]

My point - which appears to have been missed by the responses to my post - is that the urban hedgehog isn't in decline due to badgers. I appreciate this may come as a shock to some on here, but wildlife conservation, and the campaigns to promote it, isn't the preserve of farmland and farmers.

This campaign is quite right to focus on the 6 points in the OP. Because they are all things that the urban dweller can do something about.

Population 2k +
Used to have hedgehogs in the garden, now have badgers, no hedgehogs
Think I responded in context

 

[gatepost]

Natural England's own graphs show the decrease in the Hedge hogg population, mirrors perfectly the increase in the other animals population,

 

[delilah]

Population 2k +
Used to have hedgehogs in the garden, now have badgers, no hedgehogs
Think I responded in context

I think we may have different definitions of 'in town'

Help us find London's hedgehogs | London Wildlife Trust

London's hedgehogs are in trouble, with the city's population falling by nearly a third since 2000. We need to act fast to reverse this decline, but we can only do this with your help.

www.wildlondon.org.uk

 

[Farmer_Joe]

loads of badgers here now not seen a hedgehog on the farm in nearly 15 years, yes it does directly coincide with the badger population imo. shame really

 

[Ffermer Bach]

conservation bodies only care about conservation, if it agrees with their pre concieved anthropomorphic and compassionate conservation ideas