Stowe WI met on 8th July with over 40 members and visitors in attendance. We enjoyed a talk by Jodie & Helen from Baddeley Green Hedgehog Rescue. They brought 2 specials guests with them! Jodie explained that Hedgehogs are red list endangered, with some modern farming practices unfortunately not helping . The hedgerows that the hedgehogs like, are not as good as they were for the animals.

At the moment the rescue, which is a registered charity, has 52 young hedgehogs, hopefully most will be able to be released into the wild.

 To help Hedgehogs, Jodie spoke about creating a hedgehog highway in our gardens. A gap 13cm x 13cm is enough for a hedgehog to get through so that they can search for their food. Log piles are places where hedgehogs love to sleep and rest. In this hot weather make sure that you have water in a shallow dish for them to use, and also if you want to encourage them into garden, put out some kitten food, ones that don’t contain milk as hedgehogs are lactose intolerant.

Jodie asks that if you see a hedgehog, either alive or (sadly) dead, to log the sighting on Hedgehog Street Website, so that it can monitor where hogs are:          www.hedgehogstreet.org

The two special guests were then shown to the ladies, they were brought in with their mom not long after they were born, unfortunately their Mom passed away so the siblings are being hand reared.

Judy gave the vote of thanks for a thoroughly enjoyable talk.

www.hedgehogrescuecentre.co.uk

The formal meeting then took place and President Kath announced that the money raised from the ladies who completed Race for Life in Trentham was now in excess of £2,000 which is a wonderful amount, and about the recent visits to the Gladstone Pottery Museum.

Our next meeting on Tuesday 12th August is an open meeting where ladies are able to bring a guest.

Our visiting speaker is Lucinda Lovesey from TV’s The Great Pottery Thow Down.

At our meeting on September 9th we will welcome Gill Sykes who will speak about Two Powerful Ladies of Staffordshire!

New members and guests are always welcome.