Nature and biodiversity
Nature is all the plants, animals and things in the world around us not made by humans and includes biodiversity. Biodiversity is a term used to describe the variety of life and its processes. This includes the many species on earth and the communities and ecosystems within which they exist. The University’s Strategy 2030 includes a commitment to lead meaningful action against the ecological crisis.
Biodiversity is of huge value in and of itself, but we also rely on the processes in nature for many things including clean air, water to drink, food to eat. Collectively, the parts of nature which provide us with benefits are referred to as natural capital. This acknowledges that we have a certain amount of natural capital around us, and if we degrade or spend it, we no longer receive the benefits.
The University of Exeter comprises of 153 hectares which includes a wide range of different, rich habitats and provides a key link to other natural environments of importance in the Exeter area. The Streatham Campus is a registered Botanic Garden and the Lower Hoopern Valley is a County Wildlife Site. The grounds are host to a vast variety of amphibians, birds, insects, mammals and reptiles which produce a diverse system of ecological niches, making this a fascinating place to study, work and visit. The trees on campus are estimated to store nearly 6,000 tonnes of carbon and to reduce water runoff by 9,245 m3 .
The University of Exeter Penryn Campus in Cornwall is 40 hectares of beautiful grounds and gardens with many habitats of high value to wildlife, including the iconic traditional Cornish hedges, an ancient lime tree avenue and 4.5 acres of wildflowers.
The University signed the Nature Positive Universities pledge in 2022. This is a commitment to start a nature positive journey, incorporating a biodiversity baseline, targets, actions and annual reporting.
Our Nature Positive Strategy details our plans to 2030.
To find out more about what we are doing to enhance biodiversity, visit the Nature Positive Pledge page, the Exeter Grounds and Gardens pages and our Grounds Operational Control Procedure (OCP). For Penryn, visit the Cornwall Sustainability Page.
The information in the boxes below about bug hotels, etc., covers Exeter grounds only. You can find updates on Penryn Campus grounds and gardens on the Cornwall Sustainability pages.
UPDATE: Wildlife friendly red lighting trial on Streatham Campus – please see our blog for more details.
UPDATE: Do you know your natural history? We need your help!
The University community and our local community are keen to increase engagement with biological recording through events, especially BioBlitz type activities (recording as many species as possible in a day). These events are great fun and a lovely way to engage with nature. We are looking for people with wildlife identification skills who would be willing to come and share their knowledge – be it plants, insects, fungi or mammals! If you are happy to be contacted about volunteering at an event, please get in touch – r.shaw@exeter.ac.uk.
The Sustainability and Grounds teams are often looking for volunteers to help with projects linked to biodiversity.
Email: sustainability@exeter.ac.uk if you are interested in volunteering and keep an eye on Instagram and the Sustainability events page.
In Cornwall check events on campus for any upcoming volunteering sessions.
Hedgehog-friendly campus
Hedgehogs represent a small but vital part of biodiversity efforts on Streatham campus. As insectivores they act as an important part of the ecosystem, helping to manage the numbers of slugs and snails: protecting the wide variety of plant species across the campus’s many green spaces.
However, hedgehog numbers are low on Streatham campus due to competition from the established badger population, therefore it is important to provide them with an environment that is as safe and supportive as possible.
A hedgehog house has been built at the top of Belvidere Meadow to provide a safe place for hedgehogs to sleep, nest and hibernate. The bug hotels spread across campus also help to support the hedgehog population, contributing to the trophic pyramid and ensuring an abundant food supply.
