news
Gardeners Invited to Help Hedgehogs in France
CPAM’S ENGLISH-SPEAKING HELPLINE - NEW NUMBER Ameli.fr (the website portal for the French health insurance program) has updated its website recently as well as CPAM’s (Caisse Primaire d'Assurances Maladie - the local department level of the national health insurance adminstration) Englishspeaking helpline number. If you want to call the French speaking line), dial 36 46 from France or +33 184 90 36 46
from abroad. If you would prefer to speak to someone in English, you can contact the CPAM’s English speaking line: 09 74 75 36 46 (from France) and 0033 974 75 36 46 (from other countries). The line is open from Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. www.ameli.fr/assure/ english-pages
Email Phishing Scam Solidarity Fund Police have sent out warnings to the public to watch out for new scams asking for key personal details. Emails claiming to be from the Direction Générale des Finances Publiques urge recipients to reply immediately in order to obtain the 1500€ aid to help small business cope during the current health crisis. The usual rules apply - check the sender’s address, don’t reply to the email and don’t follow any links.
The LPO (Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux) has recently launched its ‘Hedgehog Mission’ (https://missionherisson.org) and is encouraging us all to observe and help hedgehogs. The mission is to better protect our prickly but cute friends and raise awareness of their decline. According to naturalist Philippe Jourde, two-thirds of hedgehogs have disappeared in France in the last two decades. If it continues at this rate, estimates are even suggesting that the species may completely disappear over the next three decades. To participate, you need to place special ‘tunnels’ for five consecutive nights in a quiet place in your garden (or an isolated outdoor area) and to paint the floor of the tunnel with a special kind of charcoal-based ‘ink’ powder. The next morning, if hedgehogs (or animals, such as squirrels) have visited, their ink prints will be visible on the cardboard. You then identify the species on the LPO website and submit the data daily to help support the campaign. You can build a tunnel yourself (as directed by the LPO – it’s important to follow their instructions exactly) or buy a kit from the website (25€). This will help the LPO and researchers get important data on the current state of the hedgehog population in France. Visit the LPO website at: https://boutique.lpo.fr/catalogue/nouveautes/?cat=219233
Competition Time! WIN a hedgehog igloo or a hedgehog tunnel tracking kit! We have two tracking kits up for grabs PLUS a supercute igloo ‘gîte’. For a chance to win one of these prizes, locate ‘Twiggs’ the hedgehog who is hiding in this month’s magazine. Simply send an email to us at editors.etcetera@gmail.com with the the exact location of Twiggs, stating if you have a prize preference (kit or igloo). All entries must be in by midnight on Tuesday 22nd September, the three winners will be notified by email.
etcetera 7
