What is a local group?
Local mammal groups bring together those with a shared enthusiasm for the local environment and the mammals within it. They work to share knowledge, raise awareness, survey and monitor local mammals. They also provide local expertise and training in field skills, hold talks and events, and support the work of the Mammal Society.
How do local groups link to the Mammal Society?
We aim to galvanise latent interest in mammals and mammal recording across the United Kingdom to build a community of mammal enthusiasts. We are happy to provide expert knowledge for any of your activities and events and can also supply guidance for surveys (see National Harvest Mouse Survey as an example). We rely on local groups to be our ‘on the ground’ eyes and ears. Your local efforts have a nationwide impact and allow us to collect the data we need to protect the mammals of the UK. A number of our past publications have been made possible because of local groups (see the Red List and Atlas)!. We also aim to host a local groups conference during the year which brings together neighbouring local groups over the trials and tribulations of their daily activities, giving the opportunity for cross group collaborations. Finally we encourage you to report your findings through our Mammal Mapper app or local records centre.
What does affiliate local group membership give you?
- Two concessionary places per group at Mammal Society national events*
- Updates on mammals and research via our member’s magazine Mammal News
- Bi-annual Local Groups e-bulletin to keep you up-to-date on news and other groups as well as Mammal Society updates
- Mammal Review**
- Access to knowledge of ongoing mammal projects in your area and ones at a national level
*these places will be decided at the discretion of your local group chair and will be priced at a member cost **extra cost on top of membership fee
Who is the Mammal Society local groups chair?
Rose Toney – Local Groups Committee Chair – localmammalgroups@themammalsociety.org
Rose is the former Training and Events Officer for the Mammal Society and has continued to take an active role as a volunteer since leaving her position in 2020. She currently sits on two of the Society’s special interest groups: Training and Events Committee and Local Groups Committee. With an MRes in Ecology from Aberdeen University, she has spent most of her career engaging with a diverse range of stakeholders from across conservation practice, policy, communities and research to take action to preserve the UK’s natural heritage. She has a particular interest in community science and mobilising local action to protect and enhance biodiversity. She has worked in a range of engagement roles within the third sector, research and statutory agencies for more than fourteen years and particularly enjoys working with volunteers. She has a keen interest in recording methods, which she has explored both through her professional roles and as a long-term volunteer for a number of organisations, including the monitoring of a Scottish Wildlife Trust reserve for over a decade, where she recorded the first records of Pine Marten and Water Shrew (her favourite mammals!) at the site.
What can I or my group get involved with?
We have a range of events and activities you can get involved with at the Mammal Society which you can see below!
Local Groups Conference
The second Mammal Society Local Groups’ Regional Conference offers a day of engaging speakers covering a diverse range of mammal species, with a particular focus on work happening mainly from the north of England up to the highlands of Scotland. The conference will be hosted online.
The conference is free to attend, and tickets can be booked via Eventbrite.
We also wanted to make networking between local mammal and nature groups even easier and so have set up a Facebook group! Join today and let us know what you’re up to.
What about my local group events?
If you’re holding an event, or organising a project, and would like it advertised on our website visit our events page and get in touch with us today. You can also share all of your events on our facebook page.
Is there an affiliated group near you?
If you can not find a group near you and are interested in setting one up, please get in touch with us! Email us and our local groups representative on the Council, Rose Toney, will get back to you.