Biodiversity and Green Infrastructure

Hedgehogs remain one of the UK’s favourite mammals and they need our help. There have been steep declines in the number of hedgehogs in rural areas, and whilst this trend has also been evident in urban areas there are positive signs that hedgehog populations in these environments are stabilising. This makes the actions of people, home owners, community groups and societies even more vital to ensure that this trend continues and to see the populations grow once more. What are we doing here at the University of Reading The University of Reading hedgehog society has existed for a number of…

The UoR Hedgehog Society was launched in March 2023 at the Student Sustainability Summit. The society is led by an enthusiastic team of students, supported by staff from a range of roles but all have the goal of helping our spiky friends to thrive on University of Reading land. The number of hedgehogs in the UK has fallen dramatically since the 1950’s with some estimating there are just under 900,000 currently left. Urban populations of hedgehogs are showing potential signs of stabilisation, so organisations like the UoR Hedgehog society can make a real difference. Nilo Mason (undergraduate zoology student), one…

Our main University campus at Whiteknights is set in 50 hectares of parkland with a diverse mix of habitats, with over 2076 recorded species present. This includes 600 plants, 125 birds, 22 mammals and almost 1000 species of insect. Our campus has been awarded Green Flag status for 11 consecutive years – this recognises the efforts of our Grounds Maintenance team in maintaining such a lovely diverse space. We have also been awarded the bronze accreditation for having a hedgehog friendly campus and are working towards the silver level, which demonstrates our commitment to helping to protect this ever-popular mammal.…