Small mammal trapping at Severn Valley Country Park

Shropshire Council rangers at Severn Valley Country Park are delighted to be welcoming Sam Devine-Turner from the Shropshire Mammal Group to give a talk and guided walk on small mammal trapping.

Shropshire Mammal Group was formed in 2009 to record mammal sightings in the county. In January 2018 the group has grown up to 150 members. Shropshire Mammal Group is run independently and currently one of the main focuses is to deliver educational events on mammals.

Two Yellow-necked mice. Photo provided by Sam Devine-Turner, a member of Shropshire Mammal Group.

The Shropshire Mammal Group intend to educate that creating a mammal record is easy! If you see a wild animal, make a note of the location (place name, postcode and grid reference), species seen, evidence observed and the date. The Shropshire Mammal Group are working towards the first Shropshire Mammal Atlas and all recent records will be updated before the final print. You can even send your personal mammal record directly to SMGrecord@gmail.com

This year the Shropshire Mammal Group aims to collect mammal records for every 1km square of Shropshire, which will contribute to the Shropshire Mammal Atlas. Volunteers are needed to collect animal records in the remaining 159 squares.

Sam will be showing you small mammal traps around Severn Valley Country Park, and how to handle small mammals, plus how to identify the species you capture. This is an important part of conservation as it allows you to identify species and predict population numbers in your local area.

Join us for this fascinating insight into the valuable work the Shropshire Mammal Group do.

The event will begin at Severn Valley Country Park on Friday 20 April 2018, 9am-11am. Adults £3, Children £2 each. Please call 07458 087305 to book your place.