Wildlife activities

Hedgehog friendly campus

Originating in 2018, Sheffield University formulated the Hedgehog Friendly Campus initiative, which became a nationwide campaign with support from The British Hedgehog Preservation Society.

In 2019, we joined the Hedgehog Friendly Campus initiative, committing to a four-year journey that culminated in achieving a Gold Award Accreditation in 2022. The scheme includes activities such as hedgehog surveys, building hedgehog homes and litter picking.

Staff and students from across the University took part. Our Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost, Professor Judith Squires commented on our Gold Award Accreditation: "I am really proud of the dedication and hard work displayed by our Gardens and Grounds Team, working in partnership with student and staff volunteers to achieve this fantastic recognition."

We are no longer active members of the scheme, but continue to practice many of the Hedgehog Friendly principles through our management of the environment.

Nature activities

Nature positive universities

We always look for ways to improve our contribution towards management that benefits wildlife and nature. We are currently working with colleagues across the University to commit a pledge towards being a Nature Positive University.

No Mow May

Since the 1970s, Britain has lost 97% of its wildflower meadows. In a bid to reverse this concerning decline in flower rich meadows since 2010, our university actively joins the Plant Life annual #NoMowMay campaign. The aim is to revive biodiversity and provide a haven for pollinators like bees and butterflies by creating dedicated wildflower areas and implementing an annual no-mow policy across our sites on the University estate.

Our dedication to No Mow May underscores the profound impact small, localised initiatives can have on a broader environmental scale. By allowing the wild to flourish, we preserve the beauty of our landscapes but also invest in a sustainable, biodiverse future. Join us in May and be part of the movement that lets nature thrive – one untrimmed lawn at a time.

We continue to mow some spaces where it isn’t appropriate for meadows. This then provides areas of amenity grass that can be used for events, socialising, access, etc.

Trees on campus

Our trees are an integral part of our landscape. Many are long-lived, representing long-term investments that provide environmental, social and economic benefits that are realized over several human generations. They have immense recreational, amenity, and aesthetic value. They are also an integral part of ecosystems, supporting biodiversity. They absorb pollutants, protect water quality and sequester carbon which helps mitigate climate change.

There are currently close to 5,000 tagged, mapped, and documented trees on the University GIS-based tree management system, comprising of nearly 670 different species and cultivars from 130 different genera, 70 of which are different species of Oak.

We have a web-based map of our trees. The map documents the location and names of the trees within the gardens and can either be directly accessed from QR codes displayed on name labels attached to selected specimen trees within the gardens or via our interactive tree mapper.