Thursday 13-12-2018 - 13:58

Sheffield University has created it's own Hedgehog Friendly Campus campaign to educate staff, students and the local community on hedgehogs and how to help them thrive.

The UK’s beloved hedgehog is in trouble, with populations plummeting 50% since 2000. Increasing habitat loss means hedgehogs are moving out of their rural homes & into built areas. But here they face a whole host of challenges, including road traffic, litter, poisoning & lack of access to food & water. If we don’t do something soon, this iconic mammal is likely to be a thing of the past in the UK.  

Sheffield University is doing its bit to help. The Hedgehog Friendly Campus campaign educates staff, students & the surrounding community about hedgehog friendly behaviour, both on campus and at home. The campaign has gained traction with the local council and local landlords, who intend to implement hedgehog friendly actions within green spaces. The campaign is challenging behaviour within the university itself with a review of grounds management policies and actions have been included in the Green Impact Student Homes online toolkit.

The campaign also acts as a skills share, with opportunities for staff, students & the community to learn about hedgehog ecology & conservation. Anyone can get involved in upcoming hedgehog tracking sessions, hedgehog house workshops & torch-led night-time campus surveys. 

Sheffield University’s Sustainability Projects Assistant, Jo Wilkinson, developed the campaign, using her passion, knowledge and experience of hedgehog ecology and conservation. In the future, Jo hopes that the campaign will be delivered across universities, colleges & school campuses UK wide. You can contact her at J-wilkinson@live.co.uk for more information.

Follow the campaign on Facebook & Twitter.