In support of the aims of HedgehogAware to raise awareness of the plight of the hedgehogs here in the UK, and to take action to secure their future, I have been contacting manufacturers of domestic garden strimmers and mowers to get them on board with my campaign, and place a 'Be Hedgehog Aware' sticker on each item of gardening equipment, acting as a reminder to gardeners to check for hedgehogs before they begin to strim, every single time. The information leaflet I sent to them can be downloaded here.
The response so far has been encouraging, with two major brands getting behind my campaign in a big way! In 2022, Hyundai Power Products confirmed that 100,000 garden mowers and strimmers coming off their production line would all have my 'Be Hedgehog Aware' stickers on them. In 2023, STIGA have issued information packs and promotional materials to all their dealerships across the UK, and now have their special yellow 'Be Hedgehog Aware' stickers featuring on their gardening products. Read more about these below.
Genpower Ltd, Distributor for UK and Ireland of Hyundai Power Products, got behind my campaign early in 2022 and by the start of May the first of 100,000 machines had come off the production line with the 'Be Hedgehog Aware' stickers on them. Roland Llewellin, MD of Genpower Ltd said:
"We are delighted for Hyundai Power Products to be working with Dylan and his ‘Hedgehog Aware’ campaign. It’s a very worthwhile cause and also very inspiring to see someone of Dylan’s age driving this forward. The first batch of machines with the stickers on have just come off the production line, and we can’t wait to get those out to the UK’s gardeners and start making a difference to helping reduce the number of hedgehogs injured in gardens."
Here are some photographs of myself meeting Roland at the Hyundai Power Products warehouse, and the stickers on the products. I'm so excited by this - it shows Hyundai Power Products as a company who genuinely want to help my campaign. They've also agreed to include information in the equipment manuals, as well as putting stickers on the boxes the items come in. I can't wait to hear from other companies wanting to help!
STIGA - a European manufacturer and distributor of motorised garden tools based in Italy with 13 subsidiaries across Europe - were the very first company to respond to me back in 2021. They distribute and sell their products in over 70 countries around the world, so it's great to have them on board. They have supported my 'Be Hedgehog Aware' campaign across their brands, and comissioned me to create a video which was shown on their social media channels. They have issued all their UK dealerships with comprehensive information and promotional packs which include posters, postcards, and stickers, and have now added their bright yellow 'Be Hedgehog Aware' sticker on their garden products, as well as giving lots of top tips for their customers to help hedgehogs stay safe in their gardens. Samantha Dixon, Marketing Co-ordinator at STIGA UK says:
"We are delighted to support Dylan and his cause. Dylan has really helped us take on board thinking about nature in our gardens and how we can protect it when gardening."
If you're a manufacturer of garden mowers and/or strimmers and would like to join Hyundai Power Products, and STIGA, in showing gardeners how much you care about wildlife, especially hedgehogs by being a part of of my 'Be Hedgehog Aware' campaign, please contact me directly through the contact page on this website. I am currently putting together a 'Wonder Wall' of organisations supporting my campaign which includes local authorities as well as garden equipment manufacturers - watch this space!
Below, you will see several photographs supplied by hedgehog rescues of the sort of injuries that strimmers in particular can do to hedgehogs (remember, they won't run away from danger, just curl up in a ball). Holly the Hedgehog (the first two photos from the left from 'Little Silver Hedgehog') was really lucky, because although the strimmer blade had cut deep into her head (the maggots are where flies had laid eggs in her wound), she arrived at the rescue centre in time, and thankfully made a good recovery after 6 weeks of intensive care. The other hedgehog photo is shown with permission from Mandy Forwood. Poor 'Nakoa' (meaning 'brave') needed stitches following a strimmer injury which sliced his ears off. Again, thanks to quick thinking and the correct treatment, Nakoa is making a good recovery, but sadly nearly 4 in every 5 hedgehogs with these injuries are not so fortunate, and don't survive. It's essential for gardeners to check for hedgehogs before they strim or mow every time, so we can give hedgehogs like Holly a better chance of survival.
I have stickers available for anyone who wants to put them on their gardening equipment as a reminder to check before strimming or mowing. Bulk orders are possible for local authorities. Please visit the shop for those.
Please contact me directly if you are a manufacturer of strimmers and/or lawnmowers, and want to genuinely engage with this campaign, joining brands such as Hyundai Power Products and STIGA to be recognised as a Hedgehog Friendly company.
