Our Parliamentary Hedgehog Champion and Hedge Honcho Tracey Crouch MP
We have seen an incredible rise in support over the last twelve months for Grace and her army, thanks to their tireless efforts increasing awareness to ease the plight of our beloved hedgehogs. Grace wants to make the country a better place for her, and her spiky friends, and in fact all wildlife. Not being one to sit back and rest on her laurels, she went in search of support in the corridors of power.
The amazing Tracey Crouch MP is our ‘Hedge Honcho’ in parliament. Tracey has an impeccable history in animal welfare and environmental issues and has worked closely with Brian and Anne to make significant changes for wildlife. Her no-compromising, feisty and honest approach has seen her combat causes close to her heart. Her recent battle with cancer was fought in the same stoic way winning her even more admiration and respect.
Tracey’s determination will take the fight for our native hedgehogs and other wildlife’s survival directly into the heart of the British Government; with Tracey’s support in her role as ‘Hedge Honcho’ we really can look forward to a brighter future for wildlife throughout our great and much loved country.
Tracey said, “I was delighted to welcome my good friends and passionate animal welfare campaigners, Brian May and Anne Brummer, to Parliament today, not forgetting Grace the Hedgehog! Today’s visit was to celebrate my continued partnership with the Save Me Trust and am proud to become Parliament’s ‘Hedge Honcho!’ – a champion of hedgehog protection both locally and nationally. I look forward to working even closer with Anne, Brian and the team in encouraging both housing developers and homeowners to make small changes to their gardens and outdoor space to protect and enhance hedgehog populations. These include small modifications to our fences or by planting more shrubbery for protection. Although hedgehogs may not be at the top of the list in the public psyche of endangered species, the number of hedgehogs in Britain has dropped from over 30 Million to less than 1 Million in 70 years. At this rate it is unlikely that they will exist by the end of this decade. As part of my partnership with the Save Me Trust I will be working to get more education material on hedgehogs and other endangered wildlife into local schools, as well as making sure that new developments planned locally, enhance and do not destroy local nature habitats.”
About Tracey Crouch MP
Tracey has been a longstanding champion of animal welfare and wildlife protection since entering Parliament in 2010. Often a lone voice amongst her colleagues, she has arguably been the leading Conservative voice against fox hunting and ending the badger cull. Her efforts have earned her cross party respect and encouraged the Conservative Government to introduce progressive animal welfare legislation, including her lobbying efforts in support of the Wild Animals in Circuses Act 2019. Her campaigning efforts are ongoing with her work on ending trophy hunting imports as well as live animal exports, being reciprocated with Government commitments to end these cruel practices.
Tracey’s campaigning efforts are not limited to national issues. She has taken a lead in her own constituency, supporting the work of a number of small wildlife charities and working with local schools. Tracey has worked with anti-litter poster competitions to highlight the danger of human behaviour to wildlife and she helped secure funding for an eco-green wall at a school on a busy main road. Tracey accepted the role of Parliamentary ‘Hedge Honcho’ in early 2020. In addition to raising awareness of the rapidly declining hedgehog population in Parliament, she will continue to work with the Save Me Trust to help turn areas of her own constituency hedgehog friendly in 2021.
