Surveys and projects
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Current Projects
The Red Squirrel Acoustic Monitoring Project
To conserve populations of red squirrels, it’s necessary to exclude grey squirrels – but to do this effectively, we need a greater understanding of both species.
We’re working alongside the University of Bristol, Huawei Technologies, and Rainforest Connection to gain a deeper understanding of the behaviours of red squirrels through acoustic monitoring.
Learn more here!
National Harvest Mouse Survey 
Our 2018 Review of the Conservation and Population Status of British Mammals found that information on harvest mice in Britain is poor and we need more data to better understand how our smallest rodent is doing.
That’s why we’re launching our biggest harvest mouse survey yet!
Find out more information here and email our Data and Information Officer to register your interest on info@themammalsociety.org
Volunteer Mountain Hare Survey
Do you spend time in the Scottish uplands? Can you help with a new project monitoring mountain hares?
It is easy to participate. All you need is a smartphone to record your sightings using the free Mammal Mapper app.
By contributing to an improved understanding of abundance and distribution you’ll be helping to inform management and conservation strategies for this charismatic, near threatened species.
Click here to find out more and get involved!
Water Vole Recovery Project Wales
We have been asked by Natural Resources Wales to carry out research which will enable us to draft a species conservation plan for the country’s water voles. You can find out more on the project webpage: in Welsh | in English
You can help by telling us when you spot not only water voles in Wales but also mink and rats. We are interested in both the animals themselves and field signs. You can record your sightings through our Mammal Mapper App or through our online recording form.
Are Britain’s Wild Animals Eating Plastic?
With the help of our new intern Emily we are testing small mammal poo to see whether it contains plastic. You can find out more about the project here.
There are a number of ways you can help us find out if Britain’s mammals are eating plastic including sending us droppings you find so we can test them and also sending photos of where wild mammals have been affected by plastic such as when trapped or if you spot teeth marks on plastic. We also have a short questionnaire for vets and wildlife rescue centres here.
Donations so we can keep testing samples are also much appreciated, you can support the project by clicking here
For more information contact Emily on mammal.society@themammalsociety.org
Student Project Ideas 2020/21
If you’re a supervisor or a student looking for an undergraduate or masters level student project, read through our Mammal Society Suggested Student Projects document.
All projects have been adapted to be Covid-safe and cover a number of species and survey techniques.
In order for us to keep track, if you have selected one of our projects, please enter your contact details and the project you have selected using the Project Form and get in touch with us on info@themammalsociety.org
Partnership for Biodiversity in Planning
The Mammal Society is one of 18 organisations who are members of the Partnership for Biodiversity in Planning, a project funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. The partnership aims to provide resources to help consider protected and priority wildlife species earlier in the UK planning process and encourage building projects to deliver a net gain in biodiversity. This includes a free online planning tool – the Wildlife Assessment Check – that offers householders and small to medium-scale developers a simple check to see whether a potential development project requires expert ecological advice.
www.biodiversityinplanning.org
Atlas of European Mammals – EMMA2
We are delighted to be helping with the development of EMMA2, the second edition of the Atlas of European Mammals.
The first Atlas of European Mammals was published 20 years ago and is now out of print.
In 2015 some members of the original atlas editorial group proposed the idea of a second edition, updating information for the area already covered and extending the area to the whole of geographic Europe. Early discussions with mammalogists across Europe indicated that there was a high level of interest in this proposal and so an open meeting was held in Rome at the end of November 2016. Discussions at the meeting set the direction for the new project and work began on defining the scope of the project and recruiting volunteers across Europe to help with its delivery. The new Atlas will cover 42 countries, altogether an area of 11.59 million km2.
The project is due to be completed in 2023.
To find out more about EMMA2 go to
www.discovermammals.org.
Ongoing Projects
Red List for Britain’s Mammals
In 2020 we published the first ever IUCN approved Red List of Britain’s mammals and found that 1 in 4 British mammals are now at risk of extinction. We will continue to monitor and update the Red List and you can read more about it here.
In order to keep the Red List accurate and up-to-date your records are really important. You can record your sightings by using our Mammal Mapper App, it’s easy to download from your app store and you just need to register with an email to get started. For more information on how to use the app and how we use your records click here.
If you don’t have a smart phone, you can use our online recording form.
Mammal Mapper
Mammal Mapper is our free phone app and lets you help our mammal research by recording animals you see! You can either record one-off sightings or turn your walks, runs or cycles into surveys by allowing the app to record your route and what you see (and don’t see) along the way.
Just search Mammal Mapper on your smartphone’s app store to find and download the app. Then you just need to register a name and email address to get set up and to start helping mammal conservation!
Read more about Mammal Mapper here
Ecobat
Ecobat is a free online tool that gives context to acoustic data recorded from bat surveys. Users upload their data and receive a report which gives a wide range of tables and graphs to explain more about the data they’ve collected compared to bat records already held in the Ecobat database. In 2021, we are launching a new sister app: Count Bat, which will provide the same service but for data recorded at roost sites.
Find Ecobat here
Past surveys and projects
The Mammal Society has completed a number of mammal surveys and research over the years:
- The State of Mammals in Wales/Cyflwr Mamaliaid yng Nghymru 2020
- The National Mammal Atlas Project
- Hedgehog Hotspots
- State of Nature Report 2019
- Walk this Waterway
- Shifting Sands – Rabbit recording in The Brecks
- Review of the Population and Conservation Status of British Mammals 2018
- The Hedgehog Watch Project Annual Survey
- The Hedgehog and Lighting Project
- Tracking Ratty: Water Vole Displacement Project
- The Mammal Watch South East project (MaWSE)
- Methods for Monitoring Harvest Mice – MMM Research Report 2008
- National Water Shrew Survey 2004-2006
- Winter Mammal Monitoring 2005
- Domestic Cat Predation on Wildlife
- Garden Mammals Survey 2001
- Road Deaths Survey 2000 – 2001
- National Fox Mange Survey 1999 – 2000
- Living with Yellow-necked Mice 1998-1999
