Tartu children build winter nests for hedgehogs

Children from Naerumaa Kindergarten in Tartu have built winter nests for hedgehogs on Toomemägi, as suitable piles of leaves and branches become less common in the city, ERR reported.

After breakfast, children from the kindergarten’s Naerulinnud group went to build a nest. Their teacher, Gerli, said the children often talk about hedgehogs and see them in parks and home gardens. She said they were keen to help wildlife, adding that one child had helped rescue an injured hedgehog from their garden.

Animal ecologist Kaarin Hein said hedgehogs usually hibernate from November to April and are now looking for places to spend the winter. Nests are being built at Toomemägi and elsewhere in Tartu, including near schools and kindergartens where hedgehogs have been spotted and materials are available.

Hein said a simple nest can be made by laying two logs side by side as a base, placing a thicker branch across them, then adding smaller branches and leaves for warmth. She urged people to check their gardens for suitable nesting spots, particularly where hedgehogs are known to roam.

A euro pallet can also serve as a base, Hein said. Hedgehogs need about 13 to 15 centimetres of space to fit inside. Scientists will try to find out in the summer whether hedgehogs have taken up residence in the newly built nests.