A crowd stood outside the Wilder School waiting to see what a hedgehog named Winnie would have to say about the end of winter.

Would there be six more weeks? It sure felt like it based on Thursday morning’s frigid temperatures. But that didn’t deter the dozens of students, educators, journalists and assorted government dignitaries present at the Wilder School, which is the home of alternative and autism programs.

Hedgehog Day was started last year as a playful response to Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil, Pennsylvania’s beloved groundhog who is not exactly known — or beloved — for his accuracy in predicting the end of winter: In the last decade, he’s had a 40% success rate, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information.

“We believe that hedgehogs are much better prognosticators of weather patterns,” Dan Rivers, a school counselor at the Wilder School who is the main organizer of the event, said in a phone interview a couple days before the festivities began. “I think Phil is a sage on the stage. It’s time to bring in some new blood.”

A hedgehog was a natural choice: The Wilder School has a deep history with the spiny mammals. Roisin Viens, program coordinator for the Regional Alternative Program, has been bringing her hedgehogs to the school, where they’ve been welcomed by students and staff alike, for about a decade, albeit for non-meteorological reasons.

“They’re a great teaching tool for being able to be in the moment and to get yourself really chill because they’re really reactive,” Viens said in a phone interview before the event. When a hedgehog is upset or stressed, its spikes puff out. Students can see a hedgehog’s emotions in physical form and they respond to that.

“You have to control your breath. You have to calm down. You have to be gentle,” Viens said. “It’s really amazing to watch.”

Henry was the school’s first hedgehog ambassador. Then came Harley, the first weather-predicting hedgehog. Harley died right before Thanksgiving last year, and the whole school community mourned, Viens said. Students created cards and memorials.

They talked about bringing a new hedgehog into the fold: Was it too soon after Harley’s death? Would it be like they were replacing him? Harley’s death, however sad, provided another teaching opportunity: How to navigate grief and cope with situations that can be difficult.

Now Viens is fostering Winnie, and students have taken to him.

“They love him,” Viens said.

On Groundhog Day, Winnie was ready to go. Viens — sporting a hedgehog shirt and leggings — brought Winnie in a carrier to a table outside the school. There, two huts were set up with pieces of paper taped to them: One predicting a continuation of winter, the other its end. Whichever hut Winnie went into would determine the outcome.

But before Winnie took center stage, some pageantry was needed to properly celebrate the hedgehog of the hour.

Rivers — dressed for the occasion in a suit and top hat — kicked off the short ceremony, lauding hedgehogs for their many virtues.

Chance Lindsley, a special educator at the Regional Alternative Program, sang a song composed for the occasion, with lyrics including “He’s more graceful than an eagle; whatever you throw at him sticks,” as the crowd clapped along.

Rivers, flanked by students acting as his legal counsel, threatened a lawsuit against that rodent in Pennsylvania.

Anson Tebbetts, Vermont’s Secretary of Agriculture, spoke about the importance of weather for the state’s farmers.

“Winnie, we’re counting on you,” he said.

Daniel French, Vermont’s secretary of education, remarked on how happy he was to be in Wilder “as opposed to being in Pennsylvania with a rodent.” The crowd responded with cheers.

Then it was time for the main event. The moment of truth. The prediction.

After being placed on the table, Winnie seemed to hesitate at first. A slow chant of “Winnie” started in the crowd. Janice DeCosta, a special educator with the Hartford Autism Regional Program, stood beside student Lilia Hansen, who held a stuffed hedgehog named Harley, so named for the late hedgehog who meant so much to her.

“Go on, Winnie,” DeCosta said alongside others.

Winnie started to move, and the crowd gasped. It was followed by a cheer as Winnie made his selection.

“I saw my shadow,” Rivers read from the piece of paper taken from the hutch. “Six more weeks of winter!”

The crowd gasped, but was seemingly OK with the result.

Hansen said she was happy about Winnie’s prediction. She knows all about hedgehogs, including what they eat and how they act.

“You like that they hiss, don’t you?” DeCosta asked Hansen. Hansen responded by demonstrating a hiss.

The group moved inside for cookies and media interviews. At the front desk, there was a collection of hedgehog-themed bookmarks made by students for visitors to take.

Wilder School Principal Doug Heavisides, a huge smile on his face, greeted guests and educators. He frequently brings his dog to school to visit with the students.

“These animals reach a part of humans that other humans don’t have access to,” he said. “They’re healers.”

Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.

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