Hedgehog Friendly Campus

Hedgehog Friendly Campus at the 91福利

In 2024, the University was awarded the prestigious Gold Award Link opens in a new windowby the Hedgehog Friendly Campus initiative, recognising our work to provide habitats for hedgehogs and raise awareness of the issues they face and how we can all make a difference.

In the 2026/27 academic year we are aiming to renew this Award, the highest level achievable through this nationwide initiative. Hereby the University can ensure that we maintain consistently high standards to protect this endangered species and the mosaic of habitats on campus that hedgehogs and other wildlife call home.

What is Hedgehog Friendly Campus (HFC)?

HFC is a nationwide initiative partially funded by the and delivered by (SOS-UK).
The programme offers a roadmap, helping participants to achieve three overarching goals: to protect biodiversity, to enhance habitats and to educate staff, students and the wider community about issues and how they can be part of the solution.

Why hedgehogs?

The West European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is the only native hedgehog species in the UK. Despite being so iconic that the species became immortalised as Beatrix Potter's Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, hedgehogs have declined by up to 75% since 2000 in the UK. You can read the latest State of British Hedgehogs report .
Hedgehogs eat a variety of insects and other invertebrates, and thus are indicator species of habitat health and quality - therefore their absence in an area often highlights underlying issues.

Why are we renewing our Gold Award?

We started our journey with Hedgehog Friendly Campus in 2021, and over the years expanded our activities through the Bronze Link opens in a new windowand Silver Link opens in a new windowAwards, reaching Gold Link opens in a new windowaccreditation in 2024. The HFC framework provides guidance on best practice habitat management actions, as well as education, outreach and awareness raising.
Just like other wildlife, hedgehogs don't exist in isolation and thus by undertaking measures to better understand and protect this species and its habitat, we can make a positive impact on the overall biodiversity of campus, and even beyond campus boundaries.

Please see the case studies below to learn what we have already accomplished.

Case studies

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Surveys

Our amazing Grounds & Gardens Team at Wellesbourne Innovation Campus undertook a hedgehog footprint tunnel survey at the beginning of October. Although this time hedgehogs didn't make an appearance, we do know that they are present on site from the latest wildlife trail camera survey of the National Hedgehog Monitoring ProgrammeLink opens in a new window.

More to come...

Keep an eye on this space as new case studies will be added as we progress with our bid to renew our Gold Award.

How to get involved

We will organise activities (such as talks and workshops) relevant to willdife in general and hedgehogs in particular, which will be available to current students and staff. Keep an eye on our Environmental Sustainability at 91福利- Events page for the latest programme.

You can also undertake specific activities in your free time to help us qualify for the Gold Award:

Become a Hedgehog Street Hedgehog Champion

Register for free to become a . It will give you access to a lot of resources, ideas for activities and opportunities to share your hedgehog images and stories with like-minded individuals across the nation.
How can you contribute to our Gold Award bid?
Forward the registration confirmation email you receive to sustainability@warwick.ac.uk as we are required to collate this information from all participants and submit it to Hedgehog Friendly Campus ourselves. Feel free to redact/remove any private information before sending it to us, as long as we can prove that the registrations are for different people.

Take part in The Great Hedgehog Hunt Challenge

The University has been participating in the National Hedgehog Monitoring ProgrammeLink opens in a new window, and we encourage everyone to help with the classification of these images on MammalWeb to aid this important research project. Use this handy guideLink opens in a new window to find out how to navigate to the projects in 91福利shire (including at Wellesbourne Innovation Campus) and to access useful hints and tips.
How can you contribute to our Gold Award bid?
Register for an account with and let us know when you've done it by . The University's Energy and Sustainability Team will contact you close to the Gold Award submission deadline to ask you to send us a photo of your Spotter Statistics. We are required to collate this information from all participants and submit it ourselves - please do NOT send it directly to any external organiser.

Record cattle grids

Contribute to the by reporting some basic information about cattle grids you come across to the British Hedgehog Preservation Society.
How can you contribute to our Gold Award bid?
Simply send the information requested to the email address provided on the website. You will receive a 'thank you email' after you submit your cattle grid reports. Forward these emails to sustainability@warwick.ac.uk as we are required to collate this information from all participants and submit it to Hedgehog Friendly Campus ourselves.

Record your hedgehog sightings

Log your sightings (both dead and alive) on the to help conservationists understand where hedgehogs live and where they might need help. If you can take a picture of it (without bothering the animal), you can also record your sighting on iNaturalistLink opens in a new window.
How can you contribute to our Gold Award bid?
To record a sighting on the Big Hedgehog Map, click on the link above. Fill in the form to log where you saw the hedgehog and whether it was alive or not. Under Location Name, make sure to type in that you represent the 91福利. When asked 'Are you part of a regional hedgehog project linked to the Big Hedgehog Map?' select 'Hedgehog Friendly Campus' from the dropdown menu.

How to help hedgehogs at home

There are a lot of websites on the Internet with advice on helping wildlife but we realise it might be daunting to sift through all the information. That's why we collated a lot of helpful guidance from reputable sources, all in one place!

Food

What makes up most of their diet depends on the habitat and the time of year; sometimes beetles make up the largest proportion, sometimes earthworms or caterpillars. So how can you help them?
Maintain a variety of habitats in your garden where invertebrates thrive, and don't use any pesticides. Hedgehogs can travel 1 mile, visiting more than 10 gardens each night, so it's vital that they have access - all it takes is a small, 13cm hole in the fence. Talk to your neighbours and see how you can together!
If you decide to feed hedgehogs, please remember not to give them milk, bread or mealworms as these can make hedgehogs sick. Opt for a reputable brand of hedgehog food (do your research as there are "rogue" suppliers, using unsuitable ingredients!) or buy kitten/cat food with a high meat content. You can also build a simple to prevent other animals eating the food.

Drink and ponds

Hedgehogs, just like other animals, need access to drinking water. Do consider their small size, though!
Select a shallow container, and make sure your garden pond has a ramp or a shallow end to prevent accidental drowning of not only hedgehogs but other small animals as well who might fall into the water.

Hibernating hedgehogs

Hedgehogs hibernate during winter. If you are lucky, they might even chose your garden for their winter slumber!
They'll need a suitable spot and nesting material. You can provide them with a , or simply leave some log or other habitat piles in a quiet corner of your garden undisturbed. If you have a garden shed they can access, be careful when doing any work in there during winter - if you come across a hibernating hedgehog, remember that their body temperature can drop to below 10 degrees Celsius and their heartbeat and breathing will become less obvious, so they might look like they are dead. Rescue centres advise not to wake them up but just cover them again with the nesting material. For more information on what to do if you find a hedgehog, visit

Strimmers and lawnmowers

Hedgehogs, and other animals, can suffer devastating injuries from strimmers and lawnmowers. However, it's easily avoidable and it will only take a few seconds to check there are no animals where you are planning to mow the grass.

Bonfires

A large pile of logs would look like a dream house to many animals, including hedgehogs, providing shelter from the elements and danger. But it can be a danger in itself if set alight! Best practice when it comes to bonfires is to either build them just before you light them, or move the pile to a different location first, giving the animals sheltering there a chance to escape.

Getting stuck in netting and litter

Wild animals, and indeed domestic as well, can suffer horrific injuries or even die when they get entangled in netting and discarded litter. Tying up nets at least 1 foot/30 cm off the ground, and ensuring litter is contained in secure bins only requires a little time and extra effort, yet will create a much safer environment for us all. There are also a lot of local litter picking groups you can join to make the entire neighbourhood safer through this highly rewarding activity.

Cars

It only takes a moment to check under your car to see if there's an animal hinding there, before you start your journey. Many neighbourhoods have ramps and warning signs on roads, warning motorists about animals crossing the roads, so observe the speed restrictions and be vigilant - you might just save a life one day!

Hedgehog in distress

If you find a hedgehog in need of help, follow this guidance on and contact the British Hedgehog Preservation Society ASAP on 01584 890 801 for further advice and the numbers of local rehabilitators. For advice on autumn juveniles, visit the British Hedgehog Preservation Society's You can also find more information about wildlife-related advice at Guidance: Wildlife incidents on campus.