Some species have evolved a method of getting through the winter that seem quite appealing to me. Hibernation. Hedgehogs, dormice and bats are the true hibernators in the UK that will spend autumn filling up on food and building fat reserves before finding a safe spot to settle into a long slumber only to wake up when the sunshine is back. Sounds quite nice, right?

Well, it might not be as easy as it first sounds. As climate change continues to result in unseasonably warm and unpredictable weather, our hibernating species are at risk. Most of these creatures should be safely tucked away by October or November but warmer weather can cause them to enter hibernation later or emerge from hibernation too early. Waking up from hibernation uses a lot of energy and if an animal wakes up early, before there is food available, they will be at risk of starvation.

A tiny hazel dormouse will lose around 30% of its body weight while it is hibernating. It is vital then that these species can gather up enough food and build up their reserves ahead of the winter. Hibernators are also at threat from habitat loss, making it even harder for them to find enough food or a safe spot for them to hibernate. The remaining habitat is often fragmented due to loss of woodland and hedgerow making these problems even more severe. With 1 in 6 species in the UK threatened with extinction, how many hibernations will they have left?

Help for Hibernators, launched this week by Avon Wildlife Trust, raises awareness of these vulnerable species. Fans of dormice, hedgehogs and bats can help restore and create the vital habitats they rely on. Visit the website below to learn more about local hibernators and the Trust’s ongoing work to help them.

https://www.avonwildlifetrust.org.uk/appeals/help-out-hibernators

We can all do something to help hibernators. For example, you could create a hedgehog home in your garden, a great way to encourage a hedgehog into your garden by offering them a safe place to spend the winter. Planting some night-scented flowers in your garden such as evening primrose, jasmine or honeysuckle is a great way to help hibernators such as bats. Not only are these beautiful flowers but they would make a great gift and will attract moths and therefore bats, who will feed on the moths when they awake in the spring. To look after other overwintering animals, you could create some habitat piles. Gather up leaves, sticks, deadwood, rocks and other garden material into a heap which can act as a safe habitat for toads, newts, mice and many other species. For more information and inspiration visit https://www.avonwildlifetrust.org.uk/help-out-hibernators-at-home

Please share photos of your hedgehog homes, wildlife ponds, habitat piles and wildlife gardening to inspire others - tag @AvonWT or send your photos to communications@avonwildlifetrust.org.uk

Together we can all be hibernator heroes!