When have you last seen a hedgehog? According to the People's Trust for Endangered Species and the British Trust for Ornithology, hedgehog numbers have dropped. It's thought that the number of hedgehogs decreases by five percent each year. In another recent survey (December 2019), The UK hedgehog population, which stood at an estimated 30 million in the 1950s, is now down to about 1 million, with much of the decline in the past two decades, according to the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS). WHY ? An increase in badgers; they are the only animals that can unroll, kill and eat hedgehogs. Their numbers have extended by more than 85% since around 1985. An increase in roads and traffic; collision with vehicles is one of the most common forms of mortality in hedgehog population.   HOW CAN I HELP ? Make a hole in your fence (it doesn't have to be big) so any local hedgehog can get through. Leave food and water so it can eat and drink. Don't cut any hedgerows and let your garden grow wild. Other animals in our British countryside that are endangered are The Scottish wildcat The skylark The small blue butterfly The red squirrel. We hope the government will ensure they get extra attention - and all of us - will make sure they continue to survive and thrive.   By Milena                                                                                                                                                              

On Tuesday 4th February, News Nuggets went on a memorable trip. We all had to get up at 6 o'clock in the morning! We all had the chance to meet Sir David  Attenborough and Boris Johnson. The two groups did three workshops. We talked about landfill with some friendly people, we made mini sand models, we made 'earth dumplings' and we saw a projected globe that showed us what it would be like in the future if we didn't do something about climate change soon. Also, my group got to plant a tree with Sir David Attenborough! All of this was amazing and I feel very privileged to have gone on this memorable trip, which happened at the Science Museum in London. Boris Johnson has promised that this year is the year that we do something to help our planet. Can he be trusted to keep his word? We are all hoping that he can. A big conference is due to occur this coming November to discuss the matter; the politicians need to do something.

Have you ever wished that the pesky mosquito would just go away? Well, in the space of just two years, scientists have been able to wipe out the annoying bugs from two Chinese islands. This is an amazing achievement. However could it be done globally and what would be the effect on our ecosystem? Mosquitos are serious killers in the animal kingdom; rated one of the most dangerous animals by scientists and are the main source of deadly diseases such malaria or ebola. Wiping out this entire species would save billions of lives today and in the future. But on the other hand, trillions of mosquitos would die. This would not be the first time our species had eliminated an other - Dodos, Pyrenean Ibexes, Baiji White Dolphins, and West African Black Rhinoceros' are all good examples of animals that are now extinct due to our selfish need for money, food and enjoyment. However, there's a catch with the idea of wiping out mosquitos... the ecosystem is at risk if we proceed. Although we know that we would be unable to survive without bees, no one is sure what might happen if the population of mosquitos was wiped out. Our Fragile  ecosystem is already failing due to climate change and another major upheaval like that might just be beginning of the end for our fragile planet.