Your data on MRCVSonline
The nature of the services provided by Vision Media means that we might obtain certain information about you.
Please read our Data Protection and Privacy Policy for details.

In addition, (with your consent) some parts of our website may store a 'cookie' in your browser for the purposes of
functionality or performance monitoring.
Click here to manage your settings.
EmailIphone Application    Posted: 9th April 2021
If you would like to forward this story on to a friend, simply fill in the form below and click send.
Your friend's email:
Your email:
Your name:
 
 
Send Cancel

Vet students win grant to safeguard hedgehogs
The project builds on previous measures to develop the Easter Bush site into a hedgehog-friendly haven.
Funding to protect wildlife at University of Edinburgh's Easter Bush campus
 
Veterinary students at the University of Edinburgh have won a £2,000 Student Experience Grant to develop the Easter Bush Campus into a haven for hedgehogs and other wildlife. 

Sarah Batiste, Niamh Duthie and Niamh Kinch will use the funding – made possible by donations to the university - to survey the site and establish where improvements might be best made. 

Sarah Batiste commented: “We are extremely lucky to work and study in a campus that is surrounded by green and forested landscapes and home to significant biodiversity. We would like to create spaces that foster and promote this by supporting dwindling hedgehog populations.”

Among the planned improvements include safe water sources, ramps in ponds and increased wildflower coverage. The team also hopes to install an on-site wildlife camera to measure the impact of their efforts and signs to alert drivers of hedgehog populations.

The project, expected to take around a year, builds on previous measures to develop the campus into a place where hedgehogs can safely feed, shelter and breed. 

In February, the University of Edinburgh scooped a silver accreditation as a hedgehog-friendly campus, and a 2020 survey revealed hedgehog footprints in temporary tunnels around Easter Bush Campus. 

Become a member or log in to add this story to your CPD history

Applications open for MMI research grants

News Story 1
 RCVS' Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched round two of its veterinary mental health research grants.

Researchers have until 11.59pm on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 to apply for a grant for research which reflects MMI's 2025 focus areas.

Only one Impact Grant was awarded last year, and so this year there are two Discovery Grants and one Impact Grants available. Each Discovery Grant is worth £5,000 and the Impact Grant is worth £15,000.

For more information or to apply, email researchgrants@rcvs.org.uk to contact the MMI team.

 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BBC Radio 4 documentary addresses corporate fees

BBC Radio 4's File on 4 Investigates has released a documentary exploring how corporate-owned veterinary practices may be inflating bills to increase profit.

Released on 15 April, 'What's Happening To Your Vet Bills?' revealed the policies which many corporate groups have in place to increase their profits. This included targets and upgrades which veterinary teams are tasked with meeting on a regular basis.

It also features Anrich Vets, an independently-owned practice based in Wigan. Following the case of Staffordshire terrier Benjy, who is diagnosed with a tumour, the documentary shares how the team were able to offer contextualised care and advice to make the procedure as affordable as possible for his owners.

The documentary can be heard on demand on BBC iPlayer.