Mammal Society launches its annual Mammal Photographer of the Year competition with a brand new category for 2020.

Many of us have never even seen a mole or a weasel, let alone been in a position to photograph one. However, this year the Mammal Society has set Britain’s talented amateur wildlife photographers the additional challenge of photographing some of the country’s most elusive mammals.

The wildlife conservation charity’s Information Officer Beth Smith explains “We wholeheartedly welcome photographs of all of Britain’s wild mammals, the more the merrier! This year though, we have added the new “Elusive Mammals” category to also encourage photographers to look out for rarely photographed species such as bats, shrews, stoats and whales.”

Mammal Society Chair, Fiona Mathews adds “Most of Britain’s mammals are difficult to photograph at the best of time, not least because we know that their numbers are dwindling. Some are simply tricky to capture on film because they are nocturnal, live underwater or are simply too small or quick. However, the nation’s amateur photographers are a talented lot and we can’t wait to see what they come up with.”

The Mammal Photographer of the Year competition opens on Thursday 24 October during the wildlife charity’s annual National Mammal Week celebrations. Judging this year’s competition are author, broadcaster and Mammal Society patron, Zeb Soanes, professional wildlife photographer, Brett Lewis and Mammal Society Council member and wildcat specialist, Roo Campbell.

This year’s other categories are Mammals of Great Britain (first prize and runner up), Young Mammal Photographer of the Year (16-18 years and 15 years and under), Mammal Comedian of the Year and Mammal Society Member’s photograph.

Each year over 300 entries are received and prizes are presented at the opening of the Mammal Society Spring Conference, which in 2020 will be held at the University of Cambridge. Prizes will be presented by this year’s Cranbrook speaker, Professor of Conservation Science at Cambridge, Andrew Balmford. The closing date for entries is 1 February 2020. For full terms and conditions and details of how to enter go to www.mammal.org.uk/mpoy. 

Prizes announced to date include: a bat photography masterclass; wildlife photography days courtesy of British Wildlife Centre and Westcountry Wildlife Photography Centre; a camera trap donated by NatureSpy; binoculars and a squirrel feeder donated by CJ Wildlife; a £100 voucher from CEWE photographic printing service; and, a £50 voucher and subscription to British Wildlife Magazine courtesy of NHBS. 

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Notes to editors:

Contact: For more information (including high res images) contact: pr@themammalsociety.org or telephone 02380 010983.

Photograph: Bearded Seal by Austin Taylor from MPOY2019. Users must credit Mammal Society/Austin Taylor.

About the Mammal Society

• The Mammal Society is a charitable organisation working at the interface of science, policy making and practice. As the only society with an interest in all British mammals, its mission is to provide the scientific evidence-base for effective conservation and management.
• The Mammal Society recently completed the first review of the Population and Conservation Status of British Mammals for more than 20 years. The Review was published by Natural England in June 2018, together with the Red List of Threatened Mammals for Great Britain. A technical summary of the Review and Red List are available on the Mammal Society website mammal.org.uk. Britain’s Mammals 2018, an easy to read, richly illustrated summary of the Review, is available to purchase from NHBS.
• Anyone who is interested in mammals, would like to support mammal conservation, access specialist information and benefit from discounted courses, should consider joining the Mammal Society today. Visit mammal.org.uk.

The Mammal Society is pleased to have worked with many other conservation organisations in the UK to produce the State of Nature Report 2019. Thousands of records collected by Mammal Society volunteers, and the work we have done to assess the conservation status of our mammals, underpins the report.

To view a copy if the Report please click here.

Below is a press release issued on 3 October 2019.

 

 

 

No let-up in net loss of UK’s nature

The UK’s wildlife continues to decline according to the State of Nature 2019 report. The latest findings show that since rigorous scientific monitoring began in the 1970s there has been a 13% decline in average abundance across wildlife studied and that the declines continue unabated.

Following the State of Nature reports in 2013 and 2016, leading professionals from more than 70 wildlife organisations have joined with government agencies for the first time, to present the clearest picture to date of the status of our species across land and sea.

The State of Nature 2019 report also reveals that 41% of UK species studied have declined, 26% have increased and 33% shown little change since 1970, while 133 species assessed have already been lost from our shores since 1500.  

Butterflies and moths have been particularly hard hit with numbers of butterflies down by 17% and moths down by 25%. The numbers of species, such as the High Brown Fritillary and Grayling, that require more specialised habitats have declined by more than three quarters.

The UK’s mammals also fare badly with greater than 26% of species at risk of disappearing altogether. The Wild Cat and Greater Mouse-eared Bat are among those species teetering on the edge of disappearing.

Much is known about the causes of decline and about some of the ways in which we could reduce impacts and help struggling species. The evidence from the last 50 years shows that significant and ongoing changes in the way we manage our land for agriculture, and the ongoing effects of climate change are having the biggest impacts on nature.

Pollution is also a major issue. Whilst emissions of many pollutants have been reduced dramatically in recent decades, pollution continues to have a severe impact on the UK’s sensitive habitats and freshwaters, and new pollutant threats are continuing to emerge.

Daniel Hayhow, lead author on the report, said: “We know more about the UK’s wildlife than any other country on the planet, and what it is telling us should make us sit up and listen. We need to respond more urgently across the board if we are to put nature back where it belongs. Governments, conservation groups and individuals must continue to work together to help restore our land and sea for wildlife and people in a way that is both ambitious and inspiring for future generations”

“In this report we have drawn on the best available data on the UK’s biodiversity, produced by partnerships between conservation NGOs, research institutes, UK and national governments, and thousands of dedicated volunteers. It’s through working together that we can help nature recover but the battle must intensify.”

Whilst the data that the report shows are alarming there is also cause for some cautious hope. The report showcases a wide range of exciting conservation initiatives, with partnerships delivering inspiring results for some of the UK’s nature. Species such as Bitterns and Large Blue Butterfly have been saved through the concerted efforts of organisations and individuals.

Reflecting growing concern about the environmental and climate emergencies, public support for conservation also continues to grow, with NGO expenditure up by 26% since 2010/11 and time donated by volunteers having increased by 40% since 2000. However, public sector expenditure on biodiversity in the UK, as a proportion of GDP, has fallen by 42% since a peak in 2008/09.

The report has a foreword by a collective of young conservationists who are passionate about conservation and the future of our wildlife and nature to preserve it for future generations.

Dan Rouse, a young conservationist said, “Nature is something that shaped my childhood, that allowed me to be free to use my sense of wonder, and to gain an insight into the wonderful world of nature! It’s young people that are now picking up the baton to save our nature – we’ve already lost Corn Buntings and Nightingales in Wales – how long until they’re gone from the rest of the UK? Along with the eerie calls of curlew and the gentle purr of the turtle doves.”

Sophie Pavelle, a young conservationist said “What a huge wake-up call 2019 has been! I have felt the loss of nature more acutely this year than any other. A dawn chorus less deafening, hedgerows less frantic, bizarre, worrying weather…it seems that in a more complex world nature is tired, muted and confused. People protect what they love, and if we can find quirky, empowering ways to encourage young people to connect with nature emotionally and see it as something they can truly champion – only then can we dig deep to find real hope for a brighter, sustained future for our natural world.”

Fiona Mathews, Professor of Environmental Biology, University of Sussex and Chair of the Mammal Society said “We have identified seven species of mammal which are in grave danger of disappearing from our landscape, the wildcat, greater mouse-eared bat, grey long-eared bat, black rat, red squirrel, water vole and beaver. Populations of some of Britain’s most iconic mammals, including the hedgehog and the dormouse, are also declining. Wildlife charities are united in their belief that there is hope. We highlight, in the State of Nature, some of the key threats to British Wildlife, including urban expansion, pollution and land management. There are now opportunities to tackle these issues and create an environment good for both wildlife and people. We also call on the public to help us find out more about the state of British Mammals, and identify ways to halt the decline. We have the data gathering technology at our fingertips and we would urge everyone to get involved.”

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For further information and to arrange an interview, please contact:

Jo Wright, Mammal Society, PR and Marketing Officer: 02380 010983 / 077960 98108  pr@themammalsociety.org

Martin Fowlie, RSPB Media Relations Manager: 01767 693257 / 07740 756624  martin.fowlie@rspb.org.uk

Photographs:

Please contact either of the press contacts above.

Photograph accompanying this press release Rabbit by Ben Hall/RSPB images.

Editor’s notes

1. A full copy of the State of Nature 2019 report can be viewed here.
2. The State of Nature 2019 UK partnership includes: A Focus On Nature, A Rocha, Action for Conservation, Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC), Association of Local Environmental Records Centres (ALERC), Badenoch & Strathspey Conservation Group, Bat Conservation Ireland, Bat Conservation Trust (BCT), Biodiversity Ireland, Biological Records Centre (BRC), Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland, British Arachnological Society (BAS), British Bryological Society (BBS), British Dragonfly Society (BDS), British Lichen Society, British Mycological Society (BMS), British Pteridological Society (BPS), British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), Buglife, Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Butterfly Conservation, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH), Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM), Chester Zoo, Conchological Society of Great Britain and Ireland, Continuous Plankton Recorder, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust (Durrell), Earthwatch, Freshwater Habitats Trust, Friends of the Earth, Froglife, Isle of Man Government, iSpot (The Open University), Jersey Government Department of the Environment, John Muir Trust, Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), Local Environmental Records Centre Wales, Mammal Society, Manx BirdLife, Marine Biological Association (MBA), Marine Conservation Society, Marine Ecosystems Research Programme, MARINELife, National Biodiversity Network (NBN), National Forum for Biological Recording, CEDAR Centre for Environmental Data and Recording, National Trust, National Trust for Scotland, Natural England (NE), Natural History Museum, Natural Resources Wales (NRW), Northern Ireland Bat Group, Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), ORCA, People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES), Plantlife, Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Scottish Badgers, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), Scottish Environment Link, Scottish Wild Land Group, Shark Trust, States of Guernsey, The Fungus Conservation Trust, Trees for Life, Ulster Wildlife Trust, University of Plymouth, University of Sheffield, Vincent Wildlife Trust, Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), Wildlife Trusts, Scottish Wildlife Trust, Woodland Trust, WWF, Zoological Society of London (ZSL)

Small mammal wins biggest prize in this year’s Mammal Photographer of the Year competition

The results of the Mammal Society’s annual photography competition are in. The winner of Mammal Photographer of the Year 2019 is Roy Rimmer from Lancashire with his atmospheric photograph “Woodmouse Shut that Door”.

Roy explains how he managed to capture the perfect shot “…I baited the entrance of the shed door and placed one flash outside the entrance to replicate the moonlight and one flash inside the entrance which I diffused just enough in order to keep a rim light. I struggled for several nights to get the mice in the right place so I decided to smear chocolate near the bottom of the door. This encouraged the mice to stand for a while whilst it licked the bait giving me the opportunity to create the image.”

MPOY judge, nature and conservation photographer Peter Cairns said of the winning photograph “This image stood out for me as soon as I set eyes on it. It’s great to see an under-represented species so creatively captured. The lighting is spot on and, perhaps more importantly, there’s a story delivered with a splash of humour.” Roy wins a conservation holiday in Dorset with Wild Days Conservation.

Runner up in the competition is “Minke Miniscus” by Carl Chapman from Norfolk. The stunning shot was taken off the Ardnamurchan Peninsula in Scotland. “It was a very still day and we came across circa seven Minke Whales. This one was rather curious and circled the boat several times each time skimming the underside of the surface before rising to breathe.”

Chief judge, Hilary Conlan, editor of Mammal News magazine said “Carl’s photograph works really well with the completely smooth silky look of the water but clearly a giant underneath. It is unusual to capture the exact moment before the water is broken. This photograph also serves as a good reminder that we are an island nation and should not forget that the mammal community is not just terrestrial.” Carl wins a two day stay at Knepp Wildlife Safaris. 

The first prize in the Young Photographer of the Year 15 and under category went to Katy Read from Newcastle on Tyne for the second year running. Katy’s photograph “Hide and Seek” made an impact on the judges.

Katy took the photo at Craignure, Isle of Mull “I spent a week of my summer holidays on Mull, and we stayed in a little cottage by the sea. We wandered down to the foreshore before we had even unpacked the car, and much to my surprise and delight I saw my first ever pair of wild otters! This one spent a good ten minutes investigating a patch of floating seaweed, and I crept closer and closer whenever it was under water.” 

Wildlife photographer and ecologist Brett Lewis said “I enjoyed this image as it reminds me of being on the shoreline on the western isles of Scotland, when I last encountered a British otter. Katy has captured the inquisitive nature of the otter as it peeks through the bladder-wrack seaweed, which in turn provides a sense of place and purpose. The otter was likely out and about fishing for small fish and crustaceans, among the algae, and the photograph captures this story very well.” Katy wins a £50 book voucher courtesy of NHBS.

First prize in the 16-18 Years category this year went to 17 year old William Evans from Shropshire “My dad and I were on our way to Strumpshaw Fen, when a little brown mound caught my eye. At first I thought it was a mole hill, but on closer inspection it turned out to be the back of a hare. We inched ever closer until it finally popped its head up and almost immediately bolted, leaving just a split second to snap this picture of it – staring me dead in the eye.”

Competition judge Brett Lewis was impressed “William has captured the light very well in this image. Using backlighting in this manner subtly draws out the lovely textures of the hare’s fur and captures the bokeh effects of light on the succulent green crop shoots. The hare is aware of the photographer’s presence and it would seem that William has managed to capture an image just before the hare darts off across the field. A fleeting moment in natural history recording.” William wins a day of mammal photography at the Westcountry Wildlife Photography Centre.

The Mammal Comedian prize was put to the vote on social media. This award goes to the photograph that really makes the voters smile. This year the first prize was won by Richard Campion’s shot of a bored mountain hare, which won with an impressive 58% of the total votes received. Richard wins a pair of binoculars and a wildlife book courtesy of CJ Wildlife.

The winner of the 2019 Mammal Society Member’s photograph award has this year gone to Tris Pearce of Shropshire with his photograph of a polecat. The beautifully lit image was taken in a friend’s garden in North Wales from a temporary hide around eight feet away, using a two flash system on a trigger. Tris wins a year’s subscription to British Wildlife Magazine donated by NHBS.

Mammal Society Chair Professor Fiona Mathews said “Every year we are really thrilled to receive photographs of such a diverse range of mammals. 2019 is notable as the year we received some lovely images of a Minke whale, a bearded seal and a walrus, mammals which are a relatively rare sight along the shoreline of the UK and Ireland. Next year we are going to introduce a new category for rarely photographed species, so watch out for announcements about this in the autumn.”

All winning and highly commended photographs will be on display at the MPOY2019 exhibition which is this year taking place at the University of Glasgow at the start of the Mammal Society’s annual Spring Conference. Entry to the exhibition and the Cranbrook Lecture on Friday 29 March is free to the public. For more details go to https://www.mammal.org.uk/events/the-mammal-societys-65th-spring-conference/.

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 Prizes

• The winner of Mammal Photographer of the Year 2019 won a wildlife holiday from Wild Days Conservation. https://wilddaysconservation.org/
• The runner up in this category received a 2 day mid week stay at Knepp Wildlife Safaris https://www.kneppsafaris.co.uk/
• The winner of the Young Mammal Photographer of the Year aged 16 to 18 received a day of mammal photography at the Westcountry Wildlife Photography Centre http://www.wcwpc.co.uk
• The winner of the Young Mammal Photographer of the Year aged 15 and under category received £50 Gift Voucher from NHBS https://www.nhbs.com/
• The winner of Mammal Comedian of the Year received a pair of binoculars and a copy of the book A Year in British Wildlife from CJ Wildlife https://www.birdfood.co.uk/
• The winner of best Mammal Society Member’s photograph won a year’s subscription to British Wildlife magazine donated by NHBS https://www.nhbs.com/

Notes to editors

• For more information contact pr@themammalsociety.org or call 077960 98108.
• All further images for use with the press release are available from pr@themammalsociety.org. All images are copyrighted to the photographers and The Mammal Society.

• The Mammal Society is a charitable organisation working at the interface of science, policy making and practice. As the only society with an interest in all British mammals, its mission is to identify effective conservation strategies and to provide the scientific evidence-base for policy and practice.
• The Mammal Society has produced the first review of the Population and Conservation Status of British Mammals for more than 20 years. The Review was published by Natural England in June 2018, together with the Red List of Threatened Mammals for Great Britain. A technical summary of the Review and Red List are available on the Mammal Society website www.mammal.org.uk. Britain’s Mammals 2018, a fully-illustrated guide to the status of Britain’s mammals along with the complete 700-page Review are available from NHBS.
• The Mammal Society’s conservation work is supported through the generosity of our members. Currently our work includes investigating the causes of hedgehog declines and monitoring the status of all British Mammals with the help of citizen science volunteers. To join the Society visit mammal.org.uk.
• The Mammal Society, 18 St John’s Church Road, London E9 6EJ. Registered Company Number 1455136 Charity Number 278918.