Campus comes together for newts on the move

Each year, certain species of amphibians make a challenging journey back to their ancestral breeding ponds, often crossing busy roads and urban areas where they risk injury or death. On our campus, the many green spaces provide vital habitats for wildlife, but during migration season, our newts and toads need a helping hand.

Our Newt Patrol initiative gave volunteers the chance to ensure these amazing creatures reached their breeding sites safely. Patrolling in pairs or small groups along pedestrian paths and car parks, volunteers carefully relocated amphibians found crossing busy areas—without approaching water—to safe spots away from danger.

All participants received training in animal handling and biosecurity, and were provided with equipment including buckets, gloves, and high-visibility vests. Patrols took place in the evenings, with milder and wetter nights typically seeing the most activity, and volunteers were kept up to date via a dedicated Teams chat.

Thanks to the dedication of our volunteers, 135 amphibians were safely relocated this season, and the patrol has now concluded. A huge thank you to Tanya Carey and everyone who helped protect our campus wildlife!

Biodiversity on campus
We deliver progress against our Sustainability Strategy goal to 'realise ecology and biodiversity net gain' through collaborative partnerships to identify and monitor biodiversity on campus, and implement habitat creation and enhancement projects. We also provide opportunities to enable students and staff to engage with our work and are starting to assess our impact on biodiversity off campus.