How you, together with AI technology, can help preserve our hedgehogs
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR GROUNDBREAKING NATIONAL SURVEY
A WORLD-first combination of trail cameras, artificial intelligence and volunteers is being used to find out robust hedgehog population estimates in the UK for the first time.
The pioneering three-year pilot project – called the National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme (NHMP) – was launched this week.
Led by wildlife charities People’s Trust for Endangered Species and The British Hedgehog Preservation Society, it utilises artificial intelligence (AI), which is a world-first in hedgehog conservation.
It is hoped the combination of AI, trail cameras and home-based volunteers will produce crucial insights into the factors causing hedgehog populations to plummet, and enable conservationists to implement measures to try to reverse a decline of between 30 per cent and 75 per cent in rural areas since 2000.
The NHMP uses trail cameras to capture images of hedgehogs (and other wildlife) in different habitats, including urban parks, private gardens, woodlands and farmland.
AI algorithms sort all the images captured, minimising the numbers of blank or human images, and maximising the number of animal images for home-based volunteers – known as “spotters” – to identify.
Once the images are classified, a team of analysts can produce vital population numbers and information.
A site in Leicestershire was among one of 13 across the UK where trail cameras were placed last year.
These were left in situ for a month, generating thousands of images.
The species in these images now need to be identified, which is where the volunteers come in.
The process is straight-forward: simply look through a sequence of images and tag which species you see, and free training and ID guides are available online.
Dr Henrietta Pringle, of the People’s
Trust for Endangered Species, urged volunteers to get involved.
“For the first time in the history of hedgehog conservation we’re using AI to open up new opportunities, which is extremely exciting,” said
Henrietta. “Previous studies have estimated populations, but there has never been a rigorous nationwide survey of them – until now.
“We know hedgehogs are struggling, especially in the countryside, but before we can put practical conservation measures in place we need to understand where they are and why they’re declining.
“This is the first study where populations are measured year after year, in the same location, which will produce vital data and allow us to identify those at risk, which in time will hopefully help us to reverse the decline.
“The results will also allow us to see regional and habitat differences, and identify what factors impact them in different places.”
To find out more and to sign up, visit: