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National Mammal Week: Exploring Mammal Connections
October 9, 2023 - October 15, 2023
How do mammals connect with your life? Whether you’re a photographer, a citizen scientist, a land manager or just someone who loves to walk in nature, National Mammal Week is the perfect time to reflect on the importance and beauty of the mammals sharing our landscapes and strengthening the ecosystems across the British Isles.
From the 9th to the 15th of October, we invite you to join us in celebrating these incredible creatures and raising awareness about their significance. At the heart of Mammal Week is our shared passion for preserving the ties that bind mammals and their environment.
As part of this effort, we encourage everyone to venture out and engage in mammal surveys, from the smallest to the largest species. Your observations are invaluable in understanding the distribution and numbers of our charismatic British mammals, from harvest mice and mountain hare, to red foxes and grey seals. Whether you encounter a tiny shrew or a majestic deer, your contributions matter greatly. You can record your mammal sightings using our friendly Mammal Mapper app or our convenient online recording form. The more data we gather, the better equipped we are to protect and conserve these vital members of our ecosystems, working more and more towards a future in which sustainable mammal populations thrive as part of healthy and diverse ecosystems benefiting people and nature across the British Isles.
Join us in this collective endeavor as we explore ‘Mammal Connections’ and deepen our understanding of the bonds that shape our natural world. We have a whole host of activities planned for this Mammal Week, including webinars, competitions, prize-giveaways and more!
This page will continue to be updated as we get closer to Mammal Week with more and more information, downloadable social media packs and links to the webinars. Stay tuned for more updates!
Schedule of Mammal Week Activities:
Each day of Mammal Week, we aim to focus on different groups within mammal conservation – highlighting the connections mammals have to us all. These diverse communities are integral to understanding the intricate relationships between mammals and the world around them.
While each day will focus on a particular group, we encourage everyone to take part and join in on our Mammal Week activities!
Monday, 9th September: Mammals in Schools
Kickstarting Mammal Week, we’re engaging with the future conservationists and citizen scientists of Britain – school children!
Join us for Owl Pellet Dissection Workshops, a hands-on experience showcasing the connectivity between mammals and other animals. Through dissecting owl pellets, we’ll explore the fascinating world of small mammals, with a particular focus on shrews. Check out our Searching for Shrews Project to understand how invasive species affect native populations, and how the connections between shrews and owls are important in our search!
Our small team at Mammal Society will be running a few Owl Pellet Dissection Workshops with schools in our local areas, but if you’re interested to run your own, drop us an email at science@themammalsociety.org and we will provide you with downloadable volunteer packs, which includes owl pellet dissection worksheets and engaging activities for children. Let’s inspire the next generation of mammal enthusiasts!
Tuesday 10th October: Mammals in Art
Calling all wildlife artists!
Unleash your creativity and participate in our design competition. Submit your artwork depicting the intricate bonds between mammals and their landscapes to info@themammalsociety.org, with the subject line ‘Mammal Connections Design Competition‘ and your name to enter!
The winning design will be featured permanently on a t-shirt in our merchandise shop, and you’ll earn a share of the commissions for any sales of the shirts! The winner will also receive a footprint tunnel, sponsored by our friends at Wildcare!
Submissions close on October 3rd, when the designs will be circulated among our members for voting. Want to vote for your favorite design? Become a member today for as little as £5 a month and help choose the winner. Plus, new members receive a unique badge designed by wildlife artist Alicia Hayden!
Wednesday 11th October: Mammals in our Lives and Landscapes
Our third day of Mammal Week kickstarts three days of captivating webinars!
We will be hosting this Mammal Week webinar on Wednesday, 11th of October at 12:00PM, where we will explore the significance of conserving British mammals and their integral role in our daily lives and landscapes. Whether you’re a consultant, student, casual conservationist, or simply curious about the natural world, this webinar is for you!
We are excited to announce that our Chair, Dr Stephanie Wray and wildlife illustrator, Guy Troughton will join us as panelists, and we’re honored to have Zeb Soanes, our patron, chair the webinar.
Join us for insightful discussions on the importance of our mammals, exploring their vital ecological roles, conservation challenges, and their interconnectedness with our human life, and learn about ongoing and upcoming projects by the Mammal Society.
The webinar will be hosted on Zoom, and while tickets are free, your donations are greatly appreciated.
Register for ‘Mammal Connections’ webinar here
Thursday 12th October: Mammals in Universities and Mammals in Flight
Partnering with Students Organising for Sustainability UK (SOS-UK) on the Hedgehog Friendly Campus online webinar series, dive into the importance of recording mammals on campus and discover practical methods for monitoring. Explore how this knowledge can enhance your campus’s nature-friendliness.
Register ‘Recording Mammals on Campus’ here
We will also be hosting a webinar of our own – focussing on our only flying mammal species – bats! “Bat to the Future: Uniting nature & neighbourhoods with Project NightWatch” is in collaboration with our friends from Bat Conservation Trust.
Join us for this engaging webinar as we explore how important bats are to our local landscapes, and sharing insights from Bat Conservation Trust’s (BCT) Project NightWatch. When a 2021 report found that volunteer demographics for the National Bat Monitoring Programme saw certain communities underrepresented across citizen science projects, BCT piloted Project NightWatch with the aim of bringing bats to new audiences while increasing urban bat records. BCT conducted this large-scale citizen science project using credit card-sized acoustic sensors called ‘AudioMoths’ that NightWatchers from all communities could place in their window, garden or local green space to record the nocturnal species within their landscapes.
Register for ‘Bat to the Future’ webinar here
Friday 13th October: Mammals in Photographs
Photographers, we invite you to share your best shots that encapsulates ‘Mammal Connections’ – tag us at @mammalsociety on Instagram, or @mammal_society on Twitter, and use the hashtag #MammalConnections!
This Friday, we will be hosting the webinar ‘Take Only Photos: Ethical Wildlife Photography” where we will explore the vital principles of eethical wildlife photography, delving into the delivate balance between captusing breathtaking moments of nature and preserving the well-being of our wild counterparts.
We’re excited to announce our panelists, who are wildlife photographer and author, Susan Young, and wildlife photographer, YouTuber and Zoologist, Dani Connor, known for her stunning shots of red squirrels.
Excitingly, we’re launching the Mammal Photographer of the Year 2024 during this webinar – so be sure to join us then and be among the first to hear about it!
Register for ‘Take Only Photos’ webinar here
Saturday & Sunday 14-15th October: Mammals in Communities
It’s time to celebrate our local groups’ fantastic efforts!
Join us for a social media takeover featuring your Mammal Week activities. Whether you’re surveying Mountain Hares, Harvest Mice, or dissecting owl pellets, share your experiences with us. We’ll spotlight your achievements across the weekend. If you’re part of a local group, watch out for an email from us. If not, reach out at info@themammalsociety.org to get involved.
Mammal Week is all about exploring and raising awareness of the intricate connections between mammals and their landscapes. Join us for engaging activities, enlightening webinars, and the opportunity to contribute to mammal conservation in Britain. Let’s celebrate the wonder of our remarkable mammals and inspire a future where they thrive!