Biodiversity is disappearing right before our eyes, and it’s crucial to keep track of this loss to focus conservation efforts where they are needed most. But how can we do that? By using hedgehog poo, of course! While spending countless nights in the field radio-tracking the lovable European hedgehogs to better understand their decline, Dr. Sophie Lund Rasmussen had an innovative idea: using eDNA analysis of hedgehog droppings to gain insights into their diets and, in turn, the local biodiversity around them. Dr. Sophie Lund Rasmussen is a Research Associate at WildCRU, University of Oxford, a Research Fellow at Linacre College, University of Oxford, and an affiliated researcher at Aalborg University in Denmark. Known affectionately as “Dr. Hedgehog,” She has engaged in hedgehog research since 2011 and is now considered a leading expert on European hedgehogs, working tirelessly to uncover the reasons behind their decline and how to stop it. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx