Helping protect one of Britain’s most loved mammals - the hedgehog - has seen De Montfort University Leicester, (DMU) earn a new national award.
The Hedgehog Friendly Campus scheme encourages universities to complete biodiversity objectives which help reduce harm to the spiky snufflers.
These objectives include things like raising awareness of hedgehogs and litter picking and by taking on these activities throughout the past year, DMU has won silver award status as a Hedgehog Friendly Campus.
The scheme, which aims to halt the decline of the country's hedgehogs, is run by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and is taking place in schools, colleges and universities across the UK to support these endangered creatures.
Mark Hopkins from DMU’s Sustainability team, said: “I am absolutely delighted to see that DMU has been awarded the bronze and silver accreditation from Hedgehog Friendly Campus.
“We achieved so much this year, from creating hedgehog highways to putting together a viral TikTok video on how to create a wildlife survey tunnel, a clip that has been seen by over 700,000 people across the globe.
“The accreditation recognises all the hard work of colleagues and students in this year's campaign. The Grounds team in particular have been brilliant. Everyone who has taken part has made our campus a safer place for wildlife and I cannot thank them enough for it.”
In the past year, highlights from staff and students at DMU towards achieving bronze and silver status include:
Hidden wildlife camera outside of Trinity House
A series of litter picks across campus with staff and students joining forces to remove dangers to wildlife across the university.
Based behind the Castle Business School
Creation of videos to raise awareness of the serious risk’s bonfires pose to Hedgehogs
Creation of a tutorial video, guiding people on how to replicate a wildlife survey in their local area.
- Strimmer Warning Stickers
Stickers applied to strimmers to remind grounds colleagues that wildlife might be hiding in nearby bushes.
DMU first achieved the bronze accreditation in 2021 before adding a whole new host of activities for staff and students to take part in to reach silver status this year.
The Sustainability Team, De Montfort Student Union (DSU) and the Estates and Facilities Grounds Maintenance team will continue working on the project and there will be opportunities for staff and for students to volunteer on the activities as part of the initiative.
Anyone interested in taking part in the project should contact the DMU Sustainability Team at sustainability@dmu.ac.uk.
Posted on Tuesday 21 February 2023