LH Mikl-Leitner: Hedgehogs play a crucial role in natural pest control and are an important indicator of the health of the ecosystem
St.Pölten (OTS) – Under the annual theme “Species diversity – animals in the garden”, “Nature in the Garden” draws attention to the importance of hedgehogs for a healthy ecosystem with numerous campaigns. One of these campaigns is “Hedgehog Sunday”, which was celebrated yesterday with a church service, followed by a morning pint in the Königstetten castle courtyard in the Tulln district and over 450 visitors. State Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner: “In 2024, the Lower Austrian environmental movement ‘Nature in the Garden’ will focus particularly on the hedgehog and use appropriate campaigns to raise awareness of their way of life and protection. A big thank you goes to the 247 communities and parishes who actively participated in ‘Hedgehog Sunday’ by distributing seed bags.”
Information was provided about the hedgehog itself and the importance of appropriate measures to protect it. “Protecting the hedgehog is crucial as they play a crucial role in natural pest control and are an important indicator of the health of the ecosystem. If the hedgehogs are doing well, this indicates that other animals and plants in their environment also find sufficient food and living space. “It is all the more important that we actively protect and preserve hedgehog populations and offer them safe and undisturbed habitats,” said the state governor.
The Königstetten brass band and the “Maypole Musicians” provided the musical accompaniment. The festival guests were able to find out about biodiversity and ecological gardening at a “Nature in the Garden” information stand and at the regional institution “Voluntary Environmental Conservation and Rescue”.
All Lower Austrian communities and parishes were invited by “Natur im Garten” to also apply for “Hedgehog Sunday” by organizing a distribution campaign with seed bags for water-saving climate lawns, which were provided by “Natur im Garten”. 247 communities and parishes took part in the campaign and thus helped to make Lower Austria a hedgehog paradise and to ensure that Lower Austria’s gardens serve as diverse retreats for the local fauna. The seed bags were also distributed at the “Nature in the Garden” regional locations in St. Pölten, Zwettl, Gänserndorf, Waidhofen and Baden.
Creating a water-saving herbal lawn is the first step in the right direction when it comes to making gardens and green spaces hedgehog-friendly. The closer the garden gets to the hedgehog’s natural habitat, the more likely the prickly mammal will be to visit. It prefers as many “wild corners” as possible with numerous elements of the natural garden, where it can find a rich supply of food, good hiding places and sufficient nesting material. Further tips for a hedgehog-friendly garden and more interesting information about hedgehogs can be found at www.naturimgarten.at/der-igel. The “Nature in the Garden” telephone is also available for all kinds of questions: +43 (0) 2742/74 333 garden telephone@naturimgarten.at or www.gartentelefon24.at.
Further information: Nature in the garden, press spokeswoman Carina Pürer, MA, telephone: 0043 676 848 790 737, email: carina.puerer@naturimgarten.at
Questions & Contact:
Office of the Lower Austrian State Government
State Office Directorate/Public Relations
Doris Zöger
02742/9005-13314
presse@noel.gv.at
www.noe.gv.at/presse