As fall cleanups leave urban hedgehogs with fewer places to hibernate, kids and volunteers around Tartu are helping build winter nests for Estonia's 2026 animal of the year.
After breakfast, children from Naerumaa Kindergarten headed to Toome Hill to build a hedgehog nest. Naerulinnud teacher Gerli said the kids often spot hedgehogs in their backyards and nearby parks and enjoy learning about them.
"It's wonderful for the kids to come out and help animals," she said.
One child had even helped rescue a hedgehog with an injured leg in their family's backyard, the teacher recalled. Late that evening, the family drove it to a foster home in Keila, more than two hours away, so it could recover.
Some people even offer regular food and build shelters for their backyard regulars.
"We came to learn how these nests are built out in the wild," Gerli added.
Hedgehogs typically hibernate from November to April, said animal ecologist Kaarin Hein. With the animals now looking for places to spend the upcoming winter, hedgehog shelters are popping up around Tartu, including near schools and kindergartens where the animals have been spotted.
On Toome Hill, Hein demonstrated a simple way to build a hedgehog nest. Readily available sticks and leaves are a help.
"The easiest way is to lay two branches side by side as a base, then place a couple of thicker ones on top," she said, adding that this forms the foundation for a little den.
"Next, we add some thinner sticks, and then we can insulate it," she continued. "If everyone throws a handful of leaves on top, we've got a cozy and warm winter nest already."
Leave room for hedgehogs
As November approaches, Hein also urged people to give their backyards one last look to see if they left enough leaf litter and debris for hedgehogs to nest in for the winter, particularly in yards where the animals are already regular visitors.
She said a wooden shipping pallet can provide a ready-made base for sticks and leaves, with about 13–15 centimeters of clearance enough for a hedgehog to fit underneath.
Researchers plan to check next summer whether hedgehogs took up residence in the city's newly built nests.
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