NATURE lovers are being urged to leave out a bowl of water to help hedgehogs.

National Hedgehog Awareness Week was organised earlier this month by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society to highlight the problems that hedgehogs face.

Sustaining Dunbar has already launched the Dunbar Pledgehog Project in a bid to connect both hedgehogs and people thanks to funding from the local area partnership.

Jen Walker, Dunbar Pledgehog officer, said: “Hedgehogs are endangered and require our help to survive.

"They need people to provide them with better access throughout East Lothian towns and villages and make more hedgehog-friendly choices when gardening or managing outdoor spaces.”

READ MORE: Hedgehog highways plan for Dunbar gardens to protect the animals

In 2020, hedgehogs were put on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as vulnerable to extinction in Great Britain.

Jen added: “Small things can make a big difference, as each hedgehog needs a network of gardens.

“Research shows that they visit around eight gardens and travel about a mile each night.

“Having a gap of around 13cm square will allow them access to your garden and anything you can do on top of that is a bonus.

“Leaving out a heavy shallow dish of water or allowing some grass to grow a bit longer are an excellent starting point.

If you feel more adventurous then piling up leaves, logs or branches in a quiet, shady corner, sowing some wildflowers, planting a hedge or getting a hedgehog house will be of real benefit.”

The Dunbar Pledgehog Project is also asking residents to make a ‘pledge’ to do something to help the animals by visiting sustainingdunbar.org