A few years ago the UK was asked to vote for its favourite animal by the Royal Society of Biology. Unsurprisingly, the hedgehog came out top with more than a third of the vote. This spiky, huffy, little mammal certainly has an appealing character and it’s no wonder that people love seeing them in their gardens.
Unfortunately the hedgehog has recently been listed as ‘at risk of extinction’ on the Red List for Great Britain. Population numbers have declined by 50% in the last 20 years and there are likely less than one million left in the UK, compared to 30 million in the 1950s. Reasons for this include the use of pesticides, loss of habitat, litter, roads and lack of food.
The good news is that you can do something about it! Students at Sussex University have recently set up a campaign called Hedgehog Friendly Campus, which is in partnership with the British Hedgehog Preservation Society. Its aim is to make the campus more hedgehog friendly through achieving various initiatives, and all students and staff are welcome to join in and help. Falmer campus is a great place to do this as it is situated right in the middle of the countryside, and could be a great refuge for nearby hogs.
The team has just deployed footprint tunnels around campus to detect the presence/absence of hedgehogs, which they were very excited about! So we will be sure to keep you posted! They have also provided a webinar on hedgehog first aid where they were joined by an enthusiastic university grounds team, who have also agreed to put stickers on their strimming equipment.
They are well on their way to achieving their initiatives and thereby gaining bronze status, but they’d love to have some more help. They will be organising webinars, fundraising activities, litter picking, surveys, competitions and more, all of which you can get involved in. You can also help with writing blogs, designing logos or managing social media. Whatever you are interested in, there is probably something you can do. Anyone involved will be given a reference for their CV and a certificate of participation.
Obviously though, the most important thing you need is a passion for these amazing mammals and a drive to help with their plight. Hedgehogs need your help.
The Sussex Hedgehog Friendly Campus group can be contacted through their facebook page, instagram, or on twitter.