Bath Spa goes hedgehog friendly

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Bath Spa goes hedgehog friendly

The newly formed Hedgehog Friendly Campus Team at Bath Spa University are working to raise awareness of the decline of hedgehogs, the challenges they face today and take action to create a safe space on campuses for them to thrive.

Hedgehogs are listed as vulnerable under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, and there has been a decline of up to 50% since 2000. This significant decline is due to the multiple challenges they are facing today: litter, roads, disconnected habitats (due to fences, walls and roads), environmental poisons and a lack of access to water and food.

The team at Bath Spa is working to complete 10 actions to achieve the Hedgehog Friendly Campus Bronze accreditation by 31 January 2021. This will include fundraising, staff training, completing surveys, litter picking, and installing hedgehog houses and hedgehog crossings. Then they will work towards the Silver and Gold accreditations.

Laura Allen, Bath Spa Hedgehog Friendly Campus Team Leader says: “The Hedgehog Friendly Campus campaign provides staff and students with an excellent opportunity to help wildlife, especially during these uncertain times. It’s devastating to see the statistics and the decline of such an iconic species. We will play our part in reversing this and helping to allow the species to thrive on campus.”

All staff and students are welcome to join the team to help make our campuses a safe place for hedgehogs, please email info@hedgehogfriendlycampus.co.uk to register. You can keep up to date with the team on their Facebook page.

The Hedgehog Friendly Campus campaign is funded by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society.