Hedgehog Friendly Campus Award
Recently a small group of students and staff have gotten together to take part in the Hedgehog Friendly Campus Award. We aim to turn the campus into a wildlife friendly environment where hedgehogs can thrive!
The hedgehog population are in trouble and in need of our help to survive. In the UK within the last 10 years, the hedgehog population has fallen by 30% meaning that there is now less that 1 million hedgehogs left.
QMU is committed to making our campus a more hedgehog friendly environment. To do this we are installing some ‘hedgehog highways’ between the QMU campus and its surrounding green spaces. Hedgehog highways are holes in fences which allow wildlife to move between habitats.
Hedgehogs like to live in long grass and of course hedges so it is important that we look after these areas on our campus. To do so we are promoting ‘non strim zones’ on campus allowing them to have a safe space where they won’t be hurt by strimmers.
We are keen to work on other key areas on campus that will help us to reach our goal of having a hedgehog friendly environment such as litter picking, hedgehog homes, fundraisers, and events.
You can do your bit to help the dwindling hedgehog population even from your own home! Hedgehogs are commonly found in woodland areas but are also known to explore garden areas and local green spaces. You can leave out a small, shallow dish of water for hedgehogs to drink out of, pick up litter in your own local area and even create your own hedgehog highways and homes to support our prickly friends!
To find out more about our plans please have a look at our Instagram @qmuhedgehogs which has the most up to date info on what we are doing around campus as well as what you can do to help. You can also follow and support the British Hedgehog Preservation Society
