Hedgehog Friendly Campus Status

Helping Hedgehogs

Despite the dramatic decline in Hedgehog numbers over the last half century, Hedgehogs remain a Schedule 6 species under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 and whilst this prevents Hedgehogs being caught or killed, it doesn’t actually deal with the root causes of Hedgehog decline such as agricultural intensification and road deaths. It was always anticipated that campus east could be a potential release site for rescue Hedgehogs, but interest and awareness amongst both staff and students in the plight of Hedgehogs has led to the founding of a Hedgehog Society and a drive to achieve Hedgehog Friendly Campus status.

Making the campus Hedgehog friendly is the same principle as making one’s garden Hedgehog friendly, only on a larger scale. So, providing food, water, nesting and hibernation opportunities and a big enough foraging range are fundamental. On campus a range of habitats such as deciduous woodland, wildflower meadows and hedgerows should all be beneficial to Hedgehogs.

It is known that Hedgehogs can travel up to 2Km a night in search of food. As the campus is roughly 200 Ha in size it can provide foraging opportunities for quite a few Hedgehogs. The campus also borders other large areas of potential habitat, such as Walmgate Stray, so the campus can connect to an even wider habitat without any busy roads in-between. The many hedgerows on and across campus can be used like corridors by Hedgehogs to move between different areas of habitat.

By limiting the use of pesticides we are in turn limiting our effect on invertebrates, which are the natural food source of Hedgehogs and also avoiding poisoning them directly or indirectly. Encouraging Hedgehogs in itself is a method of biological pest control.

Having so much water on campus means there is lots of available water for Hedgehogs. Dehydration can be a big problem for Hedgehogs during the summer months when they are active and although they are good swimmers, if they find themselves in water, they have to be able to climb out. It would be impractical to make the entire shoreline of all our water bodies easily accessible, but we can in certain locations provide stone causeways into and out of the water for Hedgehogs to use. Fortuitously, the lake on campus east which is our largest body of water has got shallow and gently sloping margins because of the way it was designed and this means it is largely Hedgehog friendly already.

Rather than putting food down for Hedgehogs, we can encourage an abundance of natural food sources in several ways:

·         Grow a wide variety of plants – the greater the variety, the more insects will be attracted to campus in turn increasing the amount of available food

·         Mulching shrub beds with a thick layer of organic material will encourage worms and insects such a ground beetles

·         Building bug hotels – providing harbourage for more bugs will also provide more food

·         Building log and brash piles not only provides nesting and hibernating opportunities, it is also a perfect habitat for beetles and woodlice

Shelter and hibernating opportunities can be provided by having numerous log and brash piles, particularly in woodland areas, but purpose built Hedgehog boxes can also be placed out around campus as well. On a campus this size that already has so many woodland areas, it isn’t entirely necessary to do this, but one specific advantage to doing this is that in spring following emergence from hibernation, the boxes can be checked for signs of use, which in turn will indicate how extensive activity and numbers are on campus.

Another practical way of helping Hedgehogs is to keep the campus clear of litter. Entanglement in items of discarded rubbish such as plastic can holders, elastic bands or any items with apertures is a significant cause of Hedgehog injury. As such the simple act of daily litter picking, which grounds section staff carry out as a part of everyday maintenance routines is an effective way of keeping the campus environment beneficial for hedgehogs.

Finally, in terms of Hedgehog awareness amongst grounds staff, all staff have attended a presentation on Hedgehog awareness, in particular, checking areas prior to strimming or grass cutting, so as not to cause inadvertent or unnecessary injury to Hedgehogs. Along with road deaths, this is another primary cause of Hedgehog mortality. With this in mind, stickers were obtained from the British Hedgehog Preservation Society which have been applied to all our strimmers to remind staff to be on the lookout for Hedgehogs. Another important way in which staff help to create a Hedgehog friendly environment is by keeping the campus clear of litter, as all too often, Hedgehogs can get caught up in discarded rubbish such as plastic can holders.


http://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/

Our Green Flag Award winning campus

Green flag award

The University of York has once again been awarded the Green Flag for it's 500 acre estate. This year is the 7th year running we have been successful and for the first time this year we have been awarded a Green Heritage Site status too.

 A green space is never really finished, it needs to reflect and respond to the changing needs of its users, whilst retaining its character. The Green Flag Award looks for continual improvement, hence it's strapline ‘raising the standard’

Successful sites have to show that they manage a quality space with a clear idea of what they are trying to achieve, why, and who they seek to serve. 

The judging process can either be done by a 'secret shopper' or a visit by 2 Green flag award judges. We are then judged against 27 different criteria and must submit an up to date management plan, showing that we understand the users who they are, who they could be, what they want, how they are informed and involved. 

During a visit the judges take the opportunity to ask the views of campus users and the grounds staff for their views on what is special about the campus, it's history, the biodiversity, landscape amenities and the social and physical setting.  
A good standard of horticultural management is required in line with recognised horticultural practice that plants and trees are in good condition everywhere and clearly looked after. 

We also submit our management plan which can be seen on our webpage. Landscape management plan

Each site that enters, whether or not it achieves the Green Flag Award Standard, receives a detailed advisory report written by two expert judges – helping to share, recognise and reward good practice across the sector

Green flag award criteria-
A Welcoming Place, 
Healthy, Safe and Secure,
Well Maintained and Clean
Environmental Management Biodiversity, Landscape and Heritage, 
Community Involvement, 
Marketing and Communication, 
Management.

 

Green heritage site

CONDITION OF HISTORIC FEATURES

Good Conservation Standards

• Relevance of the Conservation and Management Plans to what they see evidenced.
• Practical conservation work carried out to high standards (e.g. repointing).
• Staff, contractors and volunteers understand the conservation standards and work to them.
• 
  

Historic features given prominence

• Historic features are a celebrated part of the landscape, whether that be subliminally or overtly.
• Historic features are regarded as an integral part of the site operation as a whole, not boxed off or hidden
• 
  

Restoration / re-creation of landscape features

• Evidence that what has been identified in the Conservation Plan has been put into practice on the ground in accordance with the Plan.
• Good quality outcome - demonstrated through the finish, use of materials, reflection of original design features.

fOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT  http://www.greenflagaward.org.uk/

Otters living on campus

We are pleased to have a  pair of Otters resident on campus, we have seen evidence before in the form of Swan mussel shells and the remains of the fish that form part of their diet, but now with the aid of night vision wildlife cameras we have managed to capture still and moving footage.

The European Otter (Lutra lutra) is also known as the Eurasian River Otter or Common Otter is also a  member of the  weasel family.  Otters will inhabit any unpolluted body of freshwater, including lakes, streams, rivers and ponds, as long as there is good supply of food.

As one of our top predators, feeding mainly on fish (particularly eels), crustaceans, waterbirds, amphibians, their hunting takes place usually at night.   Daytime is usually then spent in the otters ‘holt’, a burrow in the riverbank which can only be entered from underwater.

Otter facts

Otters are strongly territorial and generally live alone for most of the time. An otters home range can vary between 1 – 40 kilometres, with about 18 kilometres being usual, depending on the density of food available.

Male Otters and female Otters will breed at any time of the year and mating takes place in water, they have their cubs in underground burrows, known as 'holts'.

Excellent and lithe swimmers, the young are in the water by 10 weeks of age. Otters are well suited to a life on the water as they have webbed feet, dense fur to keep them warm, and can close their ears and nose when underwater.

Identification

The otter is a large, powerful mammal, with grey-brown fur, a broad snout, and a pale chest and throat. Otters can be distinguished from mink by their much larger size and broader face.

Statistics

Length: 60-80cm
Tail: 32-56cm
Weight: 6-8kg

Swan Mussel shells found around the lake edge

Average lifespan: 5-10 years

Conservation status

Protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981. Priority Species under the UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework. European Protected Species under Annex IV of the European Habitats Directive. Listed as Near Threatened on the global IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Roses weekend 3rd- 5th May 2019

Over the early May Bank holiday weekend, ‘Roses’ the largest inter-university sporting tournament in Europe takes place.  

We are host University again this year and expect to accommodate 50 sports with 140 fixtures over 3 days.

Roses is not only about sporting prowess on show, it captivates all residents of York, from the local community right through to University staff. It's a university-wide event with thousands of students filling the sidelines to support the White Rose. 

The annual sports tournament sees the University of York and Lancaster University go head to head to claim the Carter-James Trophy 
The tournament is into its 54th year and includes fixtures that range from rugby union and football to underwater hockey and e-Sports

  Link to timetable    Fixture list 

  Link to Live coverage     Live coverage

  Link for tickets   Further information

The event supports two Roses charities, Student Minds and Beat. Student Minds empowers students and members of the university community to look after their own mental health, support others and create change. Beat is the UK's leading charity supporting anyone affected by eating disorders or other difficulties with food, weight and shape.

Details on how to donate - https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/roses2019

Wildlife sites around York

The City of York council has produced a colourful guide to a selection of easily accessible wildlife sites in the York area.

  

https://www.itravelyork.info/uploads/Wildlife_booklet_FEB19.pdf

Nestled between woodlands, meadows and nature reserves are the University of York campus east and campus west.
  
First and foremost we are a University but our grounds team have always been proud of the way that we manage the campus, creating habitats, 
attracting wildlife and increasing biodiversity while providing a backdrop for education, work and recreation.


The guide to 35 Woodland, Grassland, Wetland and Heath/scrub locations around the York area has a map of the sites, what to look out for and an access guide for public transport, cycle paths and footpaths.



The booklet also includes details of Friends groups and volunteering opportunities at the various sites, should you wish to to get more involved.





It is very important when visiting any of the sites to follow the Countryside code to get the best enjoyment and protect the countryside now and for future generations.

 The booklet is available to download at the link below

https://www.itravelyork.info/uploads/Wildlife_booklet_FEB19.pdf

Help for Hedgehogs

The Grounds maintenance team have been putting hedgehog awareness stickers onto the grass cutting equipment as a reminder to look out for our campus hedgehogs before cutting the grass.

The British Hedgehog Preservation Society started the campaign to raise awareness due to the many hedgehogs that are seriously injured or killed by grass cutting machines in the garden.  

The advice to everyone is to check grass and hedges thoroughly before using mowers, strimmers and hedge cutters.

“We are delighted that the University of York are doing their bit for hedgehogs, simple measures like this can make a real difference to hedgehog lives. Hedgehogs are in decline and need all the help they can get, please see www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk to find out what else you can do to help our prickly friends.” Fay Vass, Chief Executive, British Hedgehog Preservation Society

There are many other simple things we can all do to help hedgehogs:

• Make sure there are CD case sized gaps in boundary fences and walls to allow easy passage.
• Move piles of rubbish to a new site before burning it.
• Check areas carefully before mowing or strimming.
• Ensure netting is kept at a safe height.
• Check compost heaps before digging the fork in.
• Stop or reduce the amount of pesticides and poisons used.
• Cover drains or deep holes.
• Ensure there is an easy route out of ponds & pools.

For more useful information and advice take a look at 
https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/
https://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/hedgehog-awareness-week-2019/

photographs by kind permission of  British Hedgehog Preservation Society

Looking after our campus birds during the winter

During the Winter month’s food for the campus birds is scarce, this is regularly compounded by frozen conditions. At this time the grounds team supplement food sources that are naturally available with grain.

A survey carried out by the Canal and River Trust found nearly a quarter of English and Welsh people had together fed six million loaves of bread to ducks last year. Uneaten bread causes algal blooms, allows bacteria to breed and attracts rats and other vermin.

Apart from affecting water quality, duck feeders may be unwittingly damaging the health of the birds.

The RSPB say “making large quantities of bread easily available stops ducks from eating a natural, balanced diet.”

Junk food 

White bread in particular has no real nutritional value for the birds, the danger is that they will fill up on that instead of other foods that could be more beneficial to them.
This increases the risk of an illness known as angel wing, which is caused by not getting the right nutrients in their diet. The illness causes a deformity in birds’ wings that can hamper the way they fly or even stop them altogether. 

What can you do? 

We are making available at Campus retail outlets, 500 gram bags of mixed grain for just £1 to cover the cost of the grain and packaging (which of course are biodegradable)  anything left will go towards the upkeep of our birds and creating safe habitats.

 Safe for ducks

• Cracked corn
• Wheat, barley or similar grains
• Oats
• Rice (cooked or uncooked)
• Birdseed (any type or mix)
• Grapes (cut in half)
• Frozen peas or corn (defrosted, no need to cook)
• Earthworms
• Mealworms
• Chopped lettuce or other greens or salad mixes
• Chopped vegetable trimmings or peels






• Duck pellets

Not safe for ducks

• Bread
• Chips
• Crackers and biscuits
• Popcorn
• Sugary food - sweets, chocolate

Winter Graduation 2019

Preparations for the first Graduation ceremonies of the year are well under way in the previous December.
The University  grounds and environmental teams are cleaning, clearing, scrubbing and pruning to provide a background worthy of the culmination of every students journey at York.

Winter graduations have a different feel, it is much more difficult for the team to present the campus in winter without flowering plants, leafy trees and strong growing grass so the emphasis is on 'tidy'

The last of the fallen leaves will have been picked up the shrubs will have been trimmed appropriately and the beds mulched, gravel areas will be raked and paths swept.

Conditions don't tend to be great for outdoor working in January but this year we have had a little more luck than previous years with a good dry spell in the weeks previous.

The environmental team have cleaned the walkways, bridges, hand rails  and signs and spent  time making the underside of the covered walkways around Central hall shine.

The last thing to do is the stage display in Central Hall this year with Chrysanthemum, Boston fern and variegated ivy.

An early start on the mornings of the ceremonies to collect the last litter and revisit the previous days tasks so that we can make sure we present our campus at it's best, just as soon as it gets light!