Biodiversity trail launched on Stag Hill campus

The trail currently features 10 locations, each celebrating a different aspect of biodiversity, habitat creation, wildlife or natural landscape management.  

The project is part of a wider plan to encourage our local community to engage with the natural environment around them, with a specially designed map accompanying the trail to help inspire mindfulness. 

Importantly, many of the areas highlighted along the trail demonstrate how campus grounds are being managed differently to better support biodiversity. In some places, this may mean allowing grass to grow longer, reducing mowing frequencies, or creating more natural habitats that provide food and shelter for wildlife throughout the year. 

Sustainability and reuse have been at the heart of the project from the very beginning. The large timber installations used throughout the trail have been created by repurposing trees from our own campus estate that had to be removed for horticultural and safety reasons.  

The plaques and signage attached to the timber have also been produced using recycled plastic and crafted in collaboration with colleagues from the University’s Mechanical and Electrical Workshop (FEPS) team. 

The trail has been a truly collaborative project involving teams from Campus Services, Marketing, the Horticulture team, and the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences. Together, the teams have created something that not only enhances the campus environment visually but also helps tell the story of Surrey’s ongoing commitment to sustainability, wellbeing and biodiversity. 

In the coming months, there are plans to expand the experience further through the introduction of additional walking routes around the estate, currently being developed in partnership with Team Surrey at Surrey Sports Park. 

Find out more about biodiversity at the University.

The University of Surrey is committed to embedding the UN sustainable development goals into everything it does. The trail highlights the work our teams are doing to increase biodiversity on campus - SDG 14 (life below water) and SDG 15 (life on land) - and also encourages our community to engage for nature - SDG 3 (good health and well-being).