Hedgehog Street People: Lyndon from Hedgehog Friendly Campus
22nd August 2024
Lyndon is the Project Coordinator for Hedgehog Friendly Campus (HFC) at the University of Chester. HFC is a national project aiming to help hedgehogs through our academic institutions. Teams undertake hedgehog friendly tasks with the aim of receiving bronze, silver, gold and platinum awards. We chatted to Lyndon about his work with HFC and his passion for hedgehog conservation.
What made you want to get involved in Hedgehog Friendly Campus?
The moment that first sparked my interest in the Hedgehog Friendly Campus (HFC) was in the summer after my first year at university. I received an email stating that the HFC at my university was becoming student-led and they were looking for a project coordinator. At the time, I thought it could be a great way to work with hedgehogs.
“Little did I know, this moment would change everything.”
After seeing the advert, I did some reading around and visited the HFC website to find out more. The thought of maybe bringing hedgehogs to our urban campus was a big driving factor for me. Growing up in the Lake District, I frequently saw hedgehogs, but during my first year at university, I didn’t see any. I thought this could be a good way to help others see them too.
What has been your favourite part of being involved?
One of my favourite parts of being involved with HFC was when I was checking the feeding stations on campus. Near one station, I noticed something in the entrance. To my surprise, it was an adult hedgehog that had fallen asleep in the feeding station after eating most of the food.
I really enjoy the camera trapping and leading camera trap surveys. It’s great seeing wildlife up close this way and supporting volunteers to learn new skills and feel more connected to hedgehogs. Additionally, I really enjoy the Big Hog Friendly Litter Pick each year. It’s a fun way for the team to clean up the campus and the local community, which has helped boost our hedgehog population.
Being involved with HFC has changed my entire career path. I enjoy working with hedgehogs much more than I ever thought possible and have thoroughly enjoyed my time growing and expanding the project.
“People now know me as the ‘hedgehog man’ because it’s rare I can go a conversation without mentioning them or HFC.”
What’s been your proudest achievement with HFC?
I am very proud to have been the Project Coordinator for the University of Chester HFC team for the past two years. I’ve been able to support many people to connect and work with hedgehogs. One initiative I am most proud of is partnering the project with Chester Zoo’s Networks for Nature. This collaboration allows us to work alongside multiple community-led projects, all working towards promoting wildlife.
I was fortunate to receive the Mammal Champion Award from the Mammal Society in 2023. For me, this recognition is a testament to how much the project and our incredible volunteers have achieved. I also received the Sustainability Award for my work with HFC and am currently nominated for the People of Nature Award – Conservationist of the Year – Fauna.
On campus, I have grown our volunteer base to just below 200 student volunteers. This has enabled us to promote and support a variety of community groups and projects, as well as our own. Outreach has become an important part of the project over the past two years. A notable success story is the birth of two hedgehogs on campus in the summer of 2023.
“Prior to my role as project coordinator, the project had only two sightings of hedgehogs in two years. The following spring, we captured more photos in one week than in the previous two years combined, and the hedgehog population grew from zero to eight living on campus. This is my proudest success story.”
What advice would you give to others wanting to get involved in HFC?
If you’re thinking of signing your school or university up, I highly recommend it. Since doing so, we have engaged hundreds of students and thousands of members of the public through our outreach work, such as running a stall at the Wildlife Connections Festival where I spoke to over 4,000 people. If you’re looking for a fun and rewarding way to connect with nature, look no further. Joining the HFC scheme provides amazing support from the team and resources to help you start and grow your project.
What do you love about hedgehogs?
I love seeing hedgehogs snuffling through the bushes because they sound much larger than you’d expect. Seeing them on wildlife cameras is also a delight as they move a lot faster than you would imagine. The impacts of the project so far with hedgehogs drive me to support as many as possible and continue to grow and expand the project. Working with hedgehogs is incredibly rewarding, and witnessing the birth of baby hedgehogs as a result of everyone’s hard work is an incredible experience.
What’s your favourite animal (other than hedgehogs!) and why?
Other than hedgehogs, my favourite animal is probably the red deer. From a young age, my friends and I would go into the woods to follow red deer tracks and trails. The day we finally saw one, a young stag standing in a forest clearing, was an experience I’ll never forget. Like hedgehogs, red deer are animals you rarely see, but when you do, you can’t help but stop and watch in awe.
What’s next for you?
Next for me is the Wildlife Connections Festival in September at Chester Zoo. When the university term starts, we’ll look at growing the project even more, with ambitions to expand to another campus to reach more volunteers and hedgehogs. I’m enjoying working with local community groups and would love to do more outreach. In October, I will begin a Master of Research, investigating the role schools can play in hedgehog conservation. This project is in partnership with HFC, where I will also be reviewing the HFC scheme within the Masters project.
