Hello,

I am a visiting student completing my Master's thesis at the Environmental Change Institute of the University of Oxford. Using modelling tools, I am trying to assess how urban green spaces can be optimised to contribute to a pleasant environment for both humans and biodiversity. Bicester has been chosen as a case study since it is developing at a quick pace.

As part of my project, I would like to understand the spatial movements of hedgehogs, a species that is sadly rapidly declining in the United Kingdom. Gardens have been shown to play an important role in their conservation, but only if hedgehogs can access them.

I would therefore like to find out more about how suitable the gardens in Bicester are for hedgehogs, in terms of how well-connected they are and what habitat they offer. To respect your privacy collected data will solely be used for this project, and the results will not focus on individual properties.

I am extremely grateful for your help, and I look forward to receiving your information,

Martin Besnier

Please provide your email and postal address below. I will then send you a map and an online form. The form will ask you to broadly describe your garden (type of boundaries, vegetation type, ...) using the map provided.

Understanding how hedgehogs use Bicester's green spaces will help their conservation. By identifying connectivity issues, suitable and affordable solutions can be implemented, such as creating hedgehog tunnels through fences as depicted below.