Mammal Champions 2026 Announcement

We are excited to announce the winners of our Mammal Champion Awards 2026!

Mammal Champion 2026: Emma Onyejekwe RVN APVN (Wildlife)

Emma Onyejekwe is a Registered Veterinary Nurse and Citizen Scientist whose lifelong passion has been helping animals. Driven by her desire to make a difference, Emma chose to pursue a career in Veterinary Nursing, motivated by the hope of working with wild animals abroad. After qualifying seven years ago, she spent her first year locuming and volunteering internationally. Although she had planned additional trips, the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly halted some of these ambitions. Turning her focus to the UK, Emma began volunteering locally, alongside her job as a Veterinary Nurse, which sparked her enduring love for British wildlife. 

Emma’s volunteer experiences extended beyond the veterinary field. In 2021, she joined the Royal Parks’ Hedgehog Heroes Hedgehog surveys, which inspired her to investigate whether hedgehogs lived on her local common. Collaborating with the Friends of Mitcham Common, Emma secured permission from the management team/conservators, along with a small grant from the Mitcham Common Education Trust. She then conducted hedgehog surveys on the common in 2022 and 2023. 

Upon discovering that hedgehogs were indeed present, Emma launched the Mitcham Hedgehog Project to determine if these animals were also inhabiting adjacent gardens and green spaces. The project’s mission is to support local hedgehogs by uniting the community and stakeholders, while promoting conservation initiatives. Key activities include citizen science surveys, creating hedgehog highways, and developing hedgehog-friendly greenspaces. 

Now entering its third year, Emma is eager to expand the project’s reach. Her dedication to helping hedgehogs and other wildlife stems from pure passion and hope, as all this work is voluntary—unconnected to any job, coursework, or student project. Emma aspires that, by winning this award, she can inspire other citizen scientists—especially in South London—to pursue their passions and make a meaningful impact.

Young Mammal Champion 2026: Dexter

Hello, my name is Dexter, I’m 14, and a lifelong nature lover, and I am incredibly excited to have been awarded the young mammal champion award. 

I have always loved nature and learning about all different aspects of the natural world. I have a real soft spot for mustelids, with my favourite being pine martens, which I have been lucky enough to do some training on. They have recently been seen local to where I live and I can’t wait for the day when I find signs of them near home. 

I have an active role within the Wiltshire mammal group as their mouse and shrew champion. I try and do as much work with the group as I can, going out on bat surveys, deploying wildlife cameras and hosting harvest mouse surveys and owl pellet workshops. I think owl pellets are a fantastic way to introduce people to small mammals; it is such a fun hands-on way to get involved and peak people's interest. 

One of my big passions is outreach, specifically to other young people like me, I love to make videos for social media showing people what I get up to and trying to share my passion for nature as well as facts and info about the animals all around us. As well as holding talks and educational sessions, I believe that young people like me are the future of conservation and I really hope I can inspire other kids to do their bit and to fall in love with the natural world. 

I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has supported me and my journey into the nature sector, without you I wouldn’t be able to do this amazing work, I hope I can make you all proud. 

Volunteer of the Year 2026: Beatriz Sousa

Animal behaviour, ecology, and tech are three of my favourite things, so I mush them together like a kid with different-coloured play-dough. 

I discovered the Mammal Society during my first year at Nottingham Trent University - and decided that's where I wanted to do my placement year. Simultaneously, I came across species distribution modelling, and my techy interest was piqued. No lecturers were versed in the subject, so I promptly threw myself into the topic with zero guidance and a pinch of recklessness. The MSoc was kind enough to lend me some mammal data; with it and some experimentation, I wrote my dissertation. For my master's, I went deeper into it. Then the Annual Harvest Mouse Survey came to my attention, and I'm sure you can guess the rest. 

I'm eternally curious, and depending on who you ask, either quite determined or supremely stubborn. There's always room for improvement, and that's my favourite excuse to keep tinkering. Growing up, I've volunteered with animal rescues to rehab and rehome dogs - each with their story and needs. My favourite was Sasha, whose trust I spent a year earning. Compassion and persistence. 

For the past couple of years, I've volunteered with the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds (SPEA), Universidade dos Açores (UAC), and with the Mammal Society. Mine is the path of research, data-driven science, and techy shenanigans - and helping the creatures we live alongside, always. 

Mammal Champion Group Award: Surrey Dormouse Group

The Surrey Dormouse Group was started in 2009 to co-ordinate volunteers for dormouse box checks and has since grown to over 200 members, not just from Surrey but from right across the south east. 

Our main focus is the monthly monitoring of nest boxes at more than 25 sites in Surrey, with all data collected contributing to the National Dormouse Monitoring Programme run by the People’s Trust for Endangered Species. These checks also provide experience for members working towards their handling licence, with our annual ecology and surveying course complementing this fieldwork and our mentoring scheme providing extra support. Membership fees fund nest boxes and equipment for site monitors as well as occasional talks and events for members.  

We work closely with local organisations including Surrey Wildlife Trust, Guildford Borough Council, National Trust and Woodland Trust, as well as private landowners. In winter we carry out habitat management and have seen some positive results, with dormice found in recently-coppiced areas where they have not been recorded for a number of years.  

Beyond this practical work, we share our knowledge and enthusiasm for dormice and their habitats by giving presentations to local groups and attending events, to raise awareness about dormice and our activities. We have collaborated on student projects and provide advice to the public on all matters regarding dormice. We carry out site visits and nut hunts to assess suitability for new monitoring sites, with nest tube and footprint tunnel surveys to help us confirm presence. We also comment on relevant planning applications. 

All our activities aim to inform, inspire, and enable others to play an active role in dormouse conservation, to provide a wider understanding of the needs of dormice, and to make a positive and lasting contribution to dormouse conservation in Surrey.