Biodiversity

Newcastle University made a Nature Positive Pledge in December 2022. 

To be a Nature Positive institution, the University is required to restore the species and ecosystems that have been harmed by the impacts of our university and its activities, while also improving the University's positive impact on nature. 

There are 4 main steps for achieving this: 

1. Assessing our baseline of biodiversity impact,
2. Setting SMART targets to move towards being Nature Positive
3. Acting and influencing for nature using the 4Rs - Refrain, Reduce, Restore and Renew,
4. Reporting annually on our progress.

What practical steps is the University taking to be Nature Positive? 

We are working towards establishing our baseline biodiversity impacts across university activity. This includes exploring the potential to enhance biodiversity on the University estate.  

Recent measures on our campus have included increasing the amount of wildflower planting to encourage an increase of pollinators, working to support our urban dwelling hedgehogs, and providing homes for urban bats in our bat boxes and barns. 

Trees are complex organisms that are fundamental to many ecosystems globally and they provide a wide array of benefits, such as offering important habitats for a variety of species including birds and bats. 

Trees require monitoring and management to ensure that their natural processes of growing and shedding do not pose a risk to people or property.  

We have a wide variety of trees planted on campus, below are some examples: 

• Crab Apple 
• Rowan 
• Silver Birch 
• Alder 
• Wild Cherry 
• Yew 

The national bee population is declining, these animals have intrinsic value in nature, but we also need them as critical pollinators for our food.  

Newcastle University is taking action to provide habitats for pollinating insects. We have several beehives across our estate, and there are many more in the surrounding area. You can read about the bees on our central campus on our blog. 

We have planted several unused areas of our estate as pollinator gardens, to provide sources of nectar and pollen as well as suitable nesting habitats. These gardens contain plants and flowers chosen by our own experts as pollinator friendly. We have a range of flowers with differing petal shapes (attracting a range of insects) and a succession of flowering times so insects have a nectar resource throughout the year. 

Plant list of species used in our Robinson Library pollinator garden (PDF: 228KB).

Why do we need to protect hedgehogs? 

Sadly, hedgehogs were recently listed as a species ‘vulnerable to extinction’ on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List for British Mammals. Some of the contributing factors to this are: 

• Increased volume in traffic and collisions with hedgehogs, 
• Habitat loss (e.g. mown lawns, reduced number of hedges and verges), 
• Habitat fragmentation (i.e. habitats being broken up by landscaped features such as roads, as well as enclosed gardens reducing foraging opportunities) 
• Garden pesticides and poisons. 

After joining the Hedgehog Friendly Campus campaign in 2019, Newcastle University achieved the Silver Hedgehog Friendly Campus accreditation in January 2022. This achievement required the consistent and targeted implementation of a variety of actions to make our green spaces, paths, and streets more welcoming to both hedgehogs and the variety of species that they rely on. 

What can you do to help?

If you have a garden and want to help hedgehogs yourself, the People's Trust for Endangered Species has an A-Z of Helping Hedgehogs resource for small actions you can do to benefit your local hedgehogs.

Contact the British Hedgehog Preservation Society if you are worried about a hedgehog. 

Bats are important ecosystem managers as they help to control numbers of insects in both urban and rural areas. Bats don't mind built-up areas, but they do need safe spaces for roosting. We have installed 2 large-scale bat barns and 39 bat boxes on our city centre campus to support the local Pipistrelle Bats that hunt in the surrounding parks. 

• EAUC Biodiversity guide for colleges and universities (colleagues and students can register for free membership). 
• ERIC North East - Environmental Records Information Centre for the North East of England. Working with wildlife recording groups and individuals to collate environmental data used to inform nature conservation. 
• Natural History Society of Northumbria - promoting and encouraging the study of natural history, protecting the flora and fauna in the North East of England, and caring for and extending their library and collections at the Great North Museum: Hancock. 
• Northumberland Wildlife Trust - the leading charity dedicated to nature conservation and environmental education within Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland. 
• OPAL - the Open Air Laboratories (OPAL) network is a partnership initiative celebrating biodiversity, environmental quality and people's engagement with nature. 
• Ouseburn Farm - a green oasis in the heart of Newcastle upon Tyne. A community-led project located in the Lower Ouseburn Valley which allows people to get up close to animals, explore the fields, woods and ponds, and stroll around the garden. 
• Urban Green Newcastle - a charity responsible for the management of 33 parks and over 60 allotments across Newcastle.
• RSPB – one of the largest wildlife conservation organisations in Europe. The RSPB speaks out for birds and wildlife, tackling the problems that threaten our environment. 
• The Anthropocene Research Group - Newcastle University’s Anthropocene Research Group coordinates research across traditional discipline boundaries to deliver practical, engaged solutions to real-world issues, under the banner Enough, For all, Forever.  
• The British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) – a charity dedicated to preserving hedgehogs native to the United Kingdom.  
• Newcastle University Bee Society – membership (only available to current students) offers access to beekeeping opportunities on campus, educational workshops, and community events. 
• Go Volunteer – The volunteering programme at Newcastle University Students’ Union hosts a range of sustainability focused opportunities from a variety of organisations. Examples include roles focused on urban farming, protecting city parks, and preserving the Northumberland Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.