Why We 'Leave the Leaves' for Totnes Hedgehogs 🦔
Written By kevin hare
Biodiversity is the variety of life in your garden—plants, insects, birds, and small mammals all thriving together.
Rewilding and habitat restoration in Totnes. Hedgehog-friendly garden design, wildflower meadows, and organic land management for Devon estates.
“Why is there so much poop on this short grass?”
It’s a question I’ve been asking myself a lot lately while working in gardens across Totnes. It’s what sent me down this recent "hedgehog hole"—or "hedgehog highway"—of research.
I’ve spent a lot of time talking about why we leave the leaves for winter nesting, but my boots-on-the-ground observations were telling me something new. I kept noticing "hedgehog peel" (their dark, shiny droppings) specifically on the shortest, neatest lawns I maintain.
It turns out, while hedgehogs sleep in the leaves, they survive on the grass.
Key🦔 Poo Identification Features
Appearance: Often has a glistening or metallic sheen due to undigested insect parts like beetle wings or shells.
Texture: Usually firm and solid, often tapered at one or both ends.
Placement: Droppings are typically found scattered individually across lawns, paths, or near feeding areas rather than in clusters or piles.
Contents: If you examine it closely, you may see shiny fragments of exoskeletons, beetle wings, or even berry seeds.The Webcam Proof
I was at a customer’s place last weekend, giving the lawn a tight Short Grass Cut. We’d been chatting about the hedgehog house tucked in her corner, wondering if anyone was home.
The very next morning, she sent me her webcam footage. Within hours of that fresh mow, a local hedgehog was out in the open, "snuffling" across the short turf with total ease. Because the grass was short, he didn't have to fight through a jungle; he had a direct line to the worms and beetles that the fresh cut had exposed.
Caught in the act! Watch how this Totnes local uses the short turf as a high-speed buffet line.
Why the "Short Cut" is a Life-Saver
This journey from "why is there poop here?" to "I see you on camera!" confirmed why your neat lawn is actually a wildlife hero:
The Dinner Bell: Mowing vibrates the ground and clears the "thatch," making it much easier for hedgehogs to grab earthworms that come to the surface at night.
Energy = Survival: To survive the winter, a hedgehog needs to reach at least 600g. Trudging through thick grass is exhausting. Short lawns are like "Hedgehog Highways"—they save vital energy by letting them travel their $1–2\text{km}$ nightly route with ease.
The Safety Mosaic: By keeping the lawn short for hunting but leaving the borders "wild" with leaf litter and log piles, we create the perfect habitat.
My "Active Rewilding" Approach
Because I’m seeing so much activity now, I’ve adapted my gardening style:
Short for Hunting: We keep the main "buffet" areas neat.
Long for Nesting: we tuck habitat piles in the corners.
The "Stop and Check": Since they love the edge where the "short" meets the "long," I always do a thorough hand-check before any strimming.
Next time you see those little dark signatures on your lawn, don't be annoyed—be proud! It means your garden is a vital stop on the Totnes wildlife corridor.
If you saw the recent BBC News report, you might have seen some familiar nighttime visitors. Hidden cameras in over 400 gardens revealed just how critical our back gardens have become for the survival of the British hedgehog.
The study highlighted a worrying trend: hedgehog numbers are falling. However, the experts offered a clear solution. They confirmed that features like "leaf litter and log piles" are essential for their survival, providing crucial spots for hibernating and breeding.
The Myth: "Eco-Friendly Means Messy"
Many of my clients in Totnes want to help wildlife, but they worry that leaving "habitats" means letting their garden turn into an overgrown jungle. 🦔
This is where professional maintenance makes the difference.
As you can see in the photo above, we don't just blow leaves away to landfill. We create strategic habitat piles. By tucking these piles into quiet corners or behind planters, we provide the winter shelter the BBC study recommends, without cluttering your patio or pathways.
By tucking these piles into quiet corners or behind planters, we provide the winter shelter the BBC study recommends
Going One Step Further 🏡
Alongside leaf management, we actively encourage installing dedicated hedgehog houses in quiet, shady spots.
The goal is to create a "wildlife corridor" through the dense lanes of Totnes. When combined with our Quiet Gardening approach (using low-noise battery tools), we ensure that we aren't scaring off the very creatures we are trying to protect.
