Oberbergischer Hedgehog Campaign: Tips for small measures with big impact Competition: District and Biological Station Oberberg call for hedgehog-friendly gardens

Sarah Noll from Waldbröl has been actively involved with the NABU Oberberg for years and supports the joint initiative. The dedicated hedgehog protector has set up several effective "hedgehog aids" on her property and demonstrates how simple and cost-effective it can be to make a garden "hedgehog-friendly":

Instead of shielding the home garden with dense fences, Sarah Noll recommends creating openings, such as through beech hedges or edge plantings with shrubs. Hedgehogs need visual and wind protection as well as retreat areas, explains Sarah Noll: "Pruning from native shrubs is particularly suitable for this purpose. It is not 'waste' that needs to be disposed of." 

Instead of trimmed lawns, wildflowers dominate. In the natural garden of the Waldbröl resident, greenery and flowers abound: "The many flowers attract insects. That’s the natural food for hedgehogs," says Sarah Noll. 

"Due to insect decline, hedgehogs also need our support when searching for food," says Sarah Noll. She recommends offering food for hedgehogs year-round. "Suitable options are mealworms and cat food without grains and sugar, instead with a high meat content of at least 65-70%, without jelly or sauces. Additionally, dry food, minced meat, cooked chicken, and scrambled eggs without spices are suitable. Please do not feed vegetables or nuts, and milk makes hedgehogs sick. Instead, offer water!" 
 

A (cost-effective) drinking bowl can be the large saucer of a flower pot.  The important thing is: this water source should have an escape aid for insects. A few stones placed in the bowl are sufficient for this.
Garden pond owners can also make urgently needed drinking water accessible to hedgehogs: Small bridges provide hedgehogs with safety while drinking. "A hedgehog can generally swim, but with high edges and steep walls, it struggles to climb out of a water basin," Sarah Noll points out. For safety, she has attached several wooden boards to the edge of her garden pond as escape aids for hedgehogs, in case one of these nocturnal animals happens to fall in. During their search for food, hedgehogs can cover distances of two to three kilometers in a single night. 

In a nature-friendly garden, there are many ways to provide hedgehogs with a suitable shelter. Wooden hedgehog houses offer a warm and safe winter quarter. These can be built inexpensively with simple means, but there are also affordable kits and ready-made hedgehog houses available for purchase.

"Hedgehog houses should be placed in a quiet, shady, and dry spot in the garden, preferably under hedges or shrubs," recommends Sarah Noll. The shelter should be as dry as possible, with the opening facing away from the weather, and should also offer good access. Materials such as leaves or straw (without awns) are suitable for filling the interior. "The houses do not need to be completely filled. Providing the material nearby is sufficient. The hedgehogs will pull it into the nest themselves."
Sarah Noll recently released two hedgehogs that had overwintered in her garden back into the wild. "Now, I hope that the hedgehogs will be spared from lurking dangers such as robotic mowers, plastic waste, and chemicals," wishes the animal welfare advocate.   

More information about hedgehog protection and tips for a hedgehog-friendly garden can be found by interested parties at the Biologische Station Oberberg under www.biostationoberberg.de, in the linked flyer and also from Sarah Noll via email at igelhilfe@nabu-oberberg.de.

Oberberg Competition for hedgehog-friendly gardens

All private individuals in the Oberberg district can participate from June to August 2026.

Applications are submitted via email to oberberg@bs-bl.de
Subject: „Hedgehog Garden Competition – [Name/District]“

Required submissions:

• At least one photo (max. 6 photos) of the garden or the hedgehog-friendly measures
   
• A brief description: Which measures were or will be implemented and why the garden is hedgehog-friendly?
   
• The garden's address (for on-site visits of the top ten gardens)
   
• The phone number of the participating garden owner

All further information about the competition – for example, what earns points and the participation conditions can be found by participants on the website of the Biologische Station Oberberg in the "Projects" section.

Jury, on-site visits, and awards

A professional jury will review all submissions and select the ten best gardens. These will be visited and evaluated in September. The top three places will be awarded prizes:

1st place: Two bat boxes
2nd place: Two tit nesting aids
3rd place: One tit nesting aid

The best gardens will subsequently be publicly showcased!