10 Dec 2019
Loughborough’s litter pick for hedgehogs
22 people volunteered and they collected 38kg of litter in just 30 minutes. Litter is very dangerous for hedgehogs as their small heads can get caught in plastic drinks rings or crisp packets and their spines can be trapped inside them.
The litter pick was part of the activities being run by the University to achieve their bronze award as a Hedgehog Friendly Campus, an initiative run by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society.
Environmental Management Assistant, Amber Quraishi said: “It was great to see so many students from all academic backgrounds coming together to help make the campus a safer place for hedgehogs and other local wildlife.
“Biodiversity is not only a crucial provider of food, pollination, clean water, and a stable climate but is also an invaluable source of beauty and inspiration for our campus which needs to be protected.
“Hedgehog numbers have fallen by half since the turn of the century due to the loss of hedgerows and field margins to intensive farming, but campaigns like the Hedgehog Friendly Campus are helping to see populations in urban areas recovering through the creation of hedgehog habitats and community litter picks.”
More information on the Hedgehog Friendly Campus project, please contact gardens@lboro.ac.uk.