The 2020 University Mammal Challenge will be running for the fourth consecutive year from 1st January to 30th June 2020! For updates follow Mammal Society Students (@MammSocStudents) on Twitter.
Registration opens on 23rd October 2019 during National Mammal Week! To find out more, email Beth (Student Representative) on unichallenge@themammalsociety.org
What is the University Mammal Challenge?
The University Mammal Challenge, or UMAC, is the Mammal Society’s annual competition that sees teams of students recording the mammals on their campuses. There are a few rules to follow, and some set surveying methods, but we encourage students to gather as many records as possible using a variety of survey techniques. After all, it is a competition! There are prizes up for grabs, so you can contribute to UK mammal conservation whilst enjoying some friendly rivalry with other university campus teams!
The challenge primarily uses our new Mammal Mapper App. The app was designed to survey mammals while out walking and tracks the route taken. This allows the Mammal Society to see where people are looking for mammals, even if they don’t see any! This is really useful information that enables absences to be recorded as well as relative densities to be calculated. The app is available for Android and iOS
How to form a UMAC team
There are only a couple of rules to consider when forming a team:
- Teams must consist of 1-5 current university students. From undergraduates to PhD students, you’re all welcome!
- Each team must have a Team Leader who is the point of contact between the team and the Mammal Society Student Rep.
- Each team leader must be a member of the Mammal Society. It’s simple to sign up online for a Student / Graduate membership if needed, and you can think about splitting the cost between your team members. Please enter UMAC in the group section of the application form when signing up for membership.
- There can be multiple teams from each university, but we encourage you to work collaboratively and avoid surveying the same locations so that you cover a wider area.
How to enter
So you’ve decided you want to get involved, be it going solo or in a team – what now? Simply fill out this quick Registration Form before 31st December 2019! Registration opens 23rd October!
Once you’ve signed-up, you’ll receive a Challenge Pack, which will give all the details you need to get up-and-running.
So what are you waiting for? Get a team together, sign-up, and find out who’s sharing your campus!
Good luck, and happy mammal watching!
University Mammal Challenge 2018
