Biodiversity

Biodiversity abounds at Oxford Brookes! From installing bee hives and planting wildflowers, to leading bird inventory surveys and evening bat walks, we are busy supporting the wild side of sustainability.

Yet more work is needed to ensure that biological diversity thrives on our campuses. See our Biodiversity Strategy and Biodiversity Action Plan for details.

Wildflowers on campus

Did you know?

  • Oxford Brookes is the first university in the world to install bee-centred Freedom Hives. You can see our tree-mounted hive and a ground mounted hive at Headington Hill campus.
  • Wildflowers are planted across sites to promote flora diversity and attract local pollinators.
  • Bird, bat, and owl boxes are installed across our campuses to provide homes for wildlife.
  • Bug hotels have been built at several campuses to welcome overwintering guests.
  • Marston Road is a Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation with many important species such as pyramidal orchids and many rare species of fungi.
Grass
Flowers
Flowers
Orchid
Bee Orchid

Hedgehog friendly campus

Over the past two decades hedgehogs have declined by 50% due to litter, traffic and loss of habitat.

Funded by the British Hedgehog Preservation Society, the Hedgehog Friendly Campus (HFC) is a UK-wide award scheme. Over 100 universities are signed up and we are proud to be one of them.

We currently hold a Bronze Award for our Hedgehog Friendly Campus work and we're always looking for students and staff to join our happy band. The great thing is, you don’t need any previous experience or knowledge, just a love of hedgehogs.

We have large green spaces at Oxford Brookes that could provide a fantastic habitat for hedgehogs to live and thrive. The accreditation helps us to work towards improving our spaces for our prickly friends.

Hedgehog

Become part of the team

If you have a passion for hedgehogs and would like to get involved we would love to have you in the group. You can register on the Hedgehog Friendly Campus website as members of the Oxford Brookes team (registration code:192).

Being part of the team involves:

  • providing safe habitats to live, eat and drink
  • providing hedgehog houses on campus
  • taking part in litter picks
  • taking part in hedgehog surveys on campus
  • creating awareness via events, social media and promotional materials
  • fundraising activities
  • putting up permissible hedgehog awareness signs
  • ensuring groundsmen and contractors are aware of hedgehogs on campus.

What’s in it for you:

  • increased knowledge about hedgehogs
  • volunteer as and when you can
  • certification of your involvement
  • a reference for your CV
  • satisfaction that you are helping a species that needs your help.


Our wonderful hedgehog ambassador, Caitlin Green, has written about why litter is such an issue and a guide to helping hedgehogs.

If you’d like to ask any questions email hedgehogfriendlycampus@brookes.ac.uk.

Surveying hedgehog tunnels

Found a hedgehog?

If you are unsure, contact:

If the hedgehog looks fine, head over to The Big Hedgehog Map and log your sighting on the Hedgehog Street website.

Hedgehog with grass in mouth

Contact us

Take a walk on the wild side

Contact us to learn about opportunities to participate in bird counts, evening bat walks and other biodiversity events.