QMU is one of UK's most wildlife-friendly universities
A new study conducted by wildlife care experts Ark Wildlife has ranked Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh as a ‘gold tier’ university among UK for wildlife protection.
The study surveyed university campuses across the UK and considered their policies for protecting wildlife, any partnerships or funding for local wildlife causes, active biodiversity or wildlife activities (excluding academic courses), and whether a university conducted a wildlife survey between January 2021 and November 2022.
Sean McMenemy, director at Ark Wildlife, said: “It’s clear that some universities are taking wildlife conservation extremely seriously, and it’s great to see. They’re really in tune with the local environment, providing invaluable habitats for animals in the area.
“It’s important that universities are actively encouraging students to become involved. This will breed greater awareness of conservation methods and just how vital wildlife is to the UK. Hopefully, it’ll also instill a lifelong love of animals and the environment in their graduates.”
Promoting biodiversity has always been an important aspect of work for QMU since its move to its current campus in 2007. Widely used by the local community as well as students and staff, the grounds have been designed to encourage biodiversity and have become a haven for wildlife.
Our Climate Change Action Plan and signing of the Universities and Colleges Climate Commitment for Scotland (UCCCFs) underscores this commitment to biodiversity. Furthermore, we have a number of partnerships across the region to support this work, including with the Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust and Nature Scot. We participate in initiatives such as the Hedgehog Friendly Campus Award.
We continue to build on our commitment, for example in the recent creation of a ‘Wee Forest’ and broader plans for an Outdoor Learning Hub.
To find out more about our approach to sustainability, visit our page on QMU’s holistic approach to sustainability.
