Students at Bangor University have introduced a ‘Hedgehog Friendly Campus’ creating a safer space for hedgehogs around the University campus and the local community.

 

 

Hedgehog Friendly Campus is a nationwide scheme established by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society to help create a safe environment and stop the decline in hedgehog numbers, which have halved in the UK since 2000, with rural areas now the most dangerous for hedgehogs, as higher speed limits and less light on the road mean more of our prickly friends getting run over.

Victoria Warren explained: “We started our campaign back in the summer of 2020, with the three of us who signed up to become ambassadors for Bangor University eager to make a change.

“Unfortunately, due to covid restrictions, we had to leave Bangor to complete our studies from home, but that didn’t stop us from making an impact!

“In our first year, we reached out to our grounds team to provide training on what to do if they found an injured hedgehog, held a webinar to involve other students in our campaign, and even raised £200 through hosting a virtual step-count competition!

“We have grown to six ambassadors, regular volunteers getting involved in events and hundreds of online followers.

“As a group we now want to expand to our local community, and would love to connect with people outside of the university. In the future, we’re planning on hosting events that everyone can get involved with, from litter picks and fundraising events to informational talks and workshops. If this interests you, please follow our social media pages linked below to be kept up to date on new and upcoming events and learn about these spiky creatures along the way.”

For now however, these are a few ways you can ensure your garden is hedgehog friendly:

  • Avoid the use of pesticides, herbicides and rat bait
  • Provide a water source with an escape route
  • Grow native wildflowers (daisies, yarrow etc.), hedgerows (bramble, hawthorn etc.) and trees (oak, beech, hazel etc.)
  • Leave leaf and log piles in shady corners
  • Have a go at making your own hedgehog house! (here’s a useful guide: https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/hedgehog-homes/)
  • Check grass before strimming and move garden litter to another spot before a bonfire
  • Don’t put down milk for hedgehogs- they are lactose intolerant!
  • Make sure your litter is disposed of responsibly

“We hope you can get involved in saving our Bangor hedgehogs!” Victoria added.

Find Hedgehog Friendly Campus:

Instagram: @ bangoruni_hogfriendly

Facebook: Bangor University HFC