Following in the footsteps (paw prints?) of different award schemes from Green Gowns to People and Planet and, of course, TEF, the British Hedgehog Preservation Society has launched a Bronze, Silver and Gold accreditation scheme for UK universities which are able to demonstrate they are helping hedgehogs on campus.
Details of the Hedgehog Friendly Campus scheme are available here and they have a nice little video to explain the rationale:
The actual criteria are a bit tricky to deduce from the limited information available but it all sounds very upbeat:
Welcome to Hedgehog Friendly Campus – a place where you can help hedgehogs to thrive on your campus and get credit for it too! Teams of staff and students can participate in Hedgehog Friendly Campus regardless of your department, building, age, level of knowledge or ability! We’ve built the scheme so that there’s something for everyone to take part in and make real changes.
So, which universities have achieved their first TEF-style ratings? Over 20 have already been preening themselves online about their successes:
The following Universities have achieved Bronze Accreditation (2019/2020):
Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Essex, Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, Gloucestershire, Keele, Kent, Lancaster, Lincoln, Liverpool, Loughborough, Northampton, Northumbria, Roehampton, Sheffield, Surrey, University of East Anglia, UWE Bristol, Winchester, Worcester, York, York St John
Anyway, all of this has good to be good news for hedgehogs and great for sustaining biodiversity on university campuses so well done to all involved.
However, I fear it can’t be long before this either becomes part of one of the UK league tables or is taken up by the OfS as a condition of registration or as part of the next TEF. Some surprise too perhaps that Spiked were not involved…
I’d be delighted if the OfS added this to the ongoing conditions. At least that would be one element I’d really enjoy complying with! Perhaps sighting a hedgehog could become a reportable event?