Northumbria University becomes a safe haven for hedgehogs

25th March 2021

Northumbria University’s efforts to transform its campuses following a hedgehog preservation campaign have been recognised after the University was awarded silver accreditation at the recent Hedgehog Friendly Campus awards.

Hedgehog numbers have declined by 50% since the year 2000 due to expanding urban areas and changes to their natural environment.

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) is a charity dedicated to improving the welfare of hedgehogs native to the UK and safeguarding their future. They launched the Hedgehog Friendly Campus campaign, a UK-wide university accreditation scheme, to transform university campuses into hedgehog homes, highways, and habitats.

Northumbria was one of the first universities to sign up to the scheme in 2019, having recognised the abundant green space on both City and Coach Lane campuses - perfect for hedgehogs.

After achieving Bronze accreditation last year, work continued to encourage the preservation of hedgehogs on campus and in the wider community.

Over the last 12 months, numerous projects have been taking place to help Northumbria University attain Silver accreditation.

Log piles were created across campus – the perfect habitat for insects which hedgehogs then forage for. A litter pick event was also held to remove plastic waste on and around the City campus, which can be harmful to hedgehogs.

Northumbria also trained staff and students to record sightings of hedgehogs in their own gardens, which provided an insight into the hedgehog numbers across the UK.

Finally, Law with International Business student and Northumbria Hedgehog Friendly Campus Ambassador, Lovisa Martinell, shared a blog post with her fellow students and encouraged them to support the campaign.

If you are a student or staff member at Northumbria University, or a resident of Newcastle, and would like to help make the city hedgehog friendly, please get in touch.

Find out more about Northumbria’s Hedgehog Friendly Campus here.

If you have found or are concerned about a hedgehog, please contact BHPS on 01584 890 801 and log it on the Big Hedgehog Map, to provide data that will help direct hedgehog conservation efforts across the country.

To find out more about the ways we are supporting biodiversity at Northumbria, visit our sustainability webpages.