Alumni, staff and students team up to improve hedgehog habitats on campus
Led by our Alumni Sustainability Network, alumni, staff members, and student societies all came together to make campus more hedgehog-friendly.
Kicking off the afternoon, the volunteers rolled up their sleeves for a creative challenge: refurbishing a bug hotel. Under the expert guidance of Gordon Eastham, the University’s Grounds Manager, participants used recycled wood and bark to breathe new life into the structure. This bug hotel, essential for encouraging insects that hedgehogs rely on for food, was given a much-needed revamp thanks to the team’s efforts.
Between hard work and good laughs, volunteers recharged with hedgehog-shaped cookies, before diving into the second task of the day: a litter pick. As they scoured Campus East, volunteers removed debris and harmful materials, ensuring a safer environment for wildlife like hedgehogs, whose are often endangered by litter.
This hands-on event was part of York Environment Weeks, a city-wide initiative showcasing environmentally-friendly events. And the University is leading by example, having earned a prestigious Platinum award from the British Hedgehog Preservation Society for its commitment to creating a hedgehog-friendly campus.
It was an afternoon of teamwork, sustainability, and plenty of smiles, all in the name of hedgehog conservation.
To get involved with shaping more activities led by our Alumni Sustainability Network, please email alumni
