From now until November 29, the wildlife charity People’s Trust for Endangered Wildlife is running its Living with Mammals survey, asking the nation to record online wild mammals that they might encounter in their gardens or in green spaces.
This is the first time the survey will be conducted in the autumn and follows on from the successful spring incarnation this year, which saw a record level of participation as a result of lockdown.
It’s hoped that many people’s newfound love for wildlife will again encourage them to take part. Comparing the results of the two surveys will hopefully allow the PTES to better understand how wild-mammal populations nationwide are changing.
‘During the spring, more than 1,100 people took part in our survey and more than 10,000 mammal records were submitted — the highest on record since the project began 18 years ago,’ says David Wembridge, PTES mammal surveys co-ordinator.
‘We don’t want to lose this momentum and we want to keep sight of the connection with Nature lockdown afforded us. By taking part again this autumn, we can gain a unique insight into the lives of our wild neighbours and, for the first time, determine which species are seen most — and least — between August and November.’
Results from the spring survey showed that the top five mammals spotted by those living in urban areas were foxes, squirrels, bats, hedgehogs and badgers.
For more information and to take part, visit www.ptes.org/lwm
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