Thursday 2 February is National Hedgehog Day, and Lisa Hill from the Hedgehog Friendly Campus team explains what we’ve been doing to help hedgehogs at Oxford Brookes, and how you can get involved!
Can we expect to see hedgehogs at this time of year?
If you see a hedgehog in January, especially during the day, it would probably be unwell and would need to go to a wildlife rescue centre. Yet, folklore tells us that if you see a hog around this time then better weather is on its way, and if not then there are more weeks of winter to come. It's not a terribly accurate method of measuring the weather, as they tend to hibernate from November until mid-March!
If you do find a hedgehog that you think might need assistance, you can contact:
or Little Foxes.
If you see a hedgehog at night that is alert and moving with purpose, it is probably looking for food to top up its reserves to continue hibernating. If you have some meaty cat food or kitten biscuits (which do not contain milk), leave some in a sheltered dish with a bowl of water close by, as their natural food sources are scarce at this time of year.
You can also head over to The Big Hedgehog Map and log your sighting on the Hedgehog Street website.
What have we been doing to help hedgehogs?
Here at Brookes since 2020, the Hedgehog Friendly Campus team (HFC) has been working towards making our campuses a better habitat for hedgehogs. After all, we have big open spaces that should be perfect for wildlife with a bit of rewilding.
With the help of colleagues in the Grounds and Sustainability teams the HFC has:
created log and leaf piles, rewilded grassy areas/verges and provided ramps in steep-sided ponds as escape routes
completed hedgehog tunnel surveys
organised several litter picks
planted wildflower seeds
made steps towards reducing the use of herbicides and pesticides on campus
raised funds for the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (who fund HFC) - thank you to everybody who pops pennies into the collection pot in the Co-op.
Last year we were awarded bronze status for our work and this February we hope to get our silver.
What do we know about the hedgehog population at Brookes?
Last April we found evidence that a hedgie roams around Clive Booth Student Village. We know hedgehogs are present in gardens in the Headington area, but we still have work to do to get them to take up residence at Gipsy Lane and Headington Hill Hall sites as well as our campuses further afield. Of course, they could be here but we just haven't come across them yet, as they are nocturnal and quite shy, secretive animals. Even if we don't have hedgehogs, all the steps we are putting in place are good for wildlife in general. So why do we concentrate on hedgehogs? Well, who doesn't love a hedgie? They were voted the nation's favourite wild mammal in the Royal Society of Biology’s public poll. Also, in 2020, the Red List for Britain’s Mammals showed that our prickly friends are vulnerable to extinction.
What can you do to help?
Join the HFC team and get involved with some of the activities listed above. In return, you can receive a reference and a participation certificate, which will help to boost your CV. You don't have to commit masses of time.
Help us to refill 'Buggingham Palace' on Thursday 9 February, 1.00 to 2.00pm, at Headington Hill Hall. Meet us in the car park outside the hall, and remember to bring gloves and a bag, as we will go foraging for cones, twigs and bug house building materials.
Follow us on Instagram at @obu_hedgehogcampus to stay up-to-date with our activities and progress!
If you’d like to find out more, you can contact the HFC team at hedgehogfriendlycampus@brookes.ac.uk.