Roxane, 7, from Grantham wants to uses art to promote wildlife conservation

A seven-year-old girl hopes to inspire conservation efforts in her community through her artwork.

Inspired by 'Patches' from the 'Puppy Place' series, Roxane Konteas, from Grantham, drew a hedgehog seeking food and water.

In the book, Patches is left tied up in a garage all by himself. His owners seem to care about him, but they don’t know how to care for him, so it’s up to two siblings to show them how.

Mum Angela said: “In the book, someone drew a picture and a little letter and they had it published, and she was really inspired by that, so she wanted to do the same.”

She hopes the drawing will raise local awareness about helping animals.

Roxane believes it's important for people to put out fresh water for animals like hedgehogs.

“I want to make sure they have happy lives,” she said.

She urged people to 'Keep an eye out for creatures who might be hurt.'

Roxane’s favourite animal is the hedgehog, and she is passionate about wildlife conservation.

Roxane hopes her drawing will encourage people always to be on the lookout for animals that may need help and to teach their friends about wildlife conservation.

Roxane comes from a family passionate about wildlife conservation.

They have a dog, and on walks, they notice what’s around them, including things like worms and snails.

She, her mother, and grandmother regularly rescue injured animals, including baby crows and hedgehogs.

They often walk near their home, looking out for animals in need.

This has helped foster Roxane's interest in wildlife at a young age.

“We're forever rescuing little hedgehogs that have been left dehydrated. We're always picking up wildlife and birds, so yeah, we're all a bit wildlife rescue crazy, really,” said Angela.

“So we just try and pay attention when we're walking to what's around us. Then you start to notice when there are baby birds in gardens and things like that. It's just paying attention to your local area.

"At the moment, with this hot weather, the best thing is leaving out bowls of water. It's as simple as that.

“We found a baby crow unable to fly just up the road, parched without any water nearby.

“So yesterday, on our walk there, we placed a flower pot saucer filled with water. Within 10 minutes, it was drinking from it, clearly desperate.

“Just putting out a bowl of water can make a huge difference.