Ecological Espionage

Camera traps have revolutionised mammal recording over the past 15 years. They are popular among research ecologists and garden wildlife enthusiasts alike. However, they work best for medium-sized to large animals, such as foxes, badgers, and deer (and occasionally pet cats!). A low-tech innovation, involving some garden-shed carpentry and the dismantling of granny’s reading glasses, enables using them to monitor shrews, voles, and mice (and, sorry, rats too). Discover how this technique can shed light on the captivating creatures that share our neighbourhoods, our gardens and, sometimes, our homes.

Small mammals such as mice, rats, voles and shrews are our most abundant wild mammals, yet we rarely see or hear the animals themselves. So how can we study them? Historically, live trapping has been used to catch small mammals and collect data, however recent technological advances in the fields of bioacoustics and camera trapping are changing how we survey small mammals. This talk will introduce our native small mammal community and discuss the different survey methods available to discover more about their populations, behaviours and lives.

Everyone pictures the ocean as clear waters, colourful fish, and a place of relaxation. But the truth is, the marine environment is a dark and murky place. As a result, the animals who live there have evolved to rely on sound - rather than vision - to explore the world around them. From singing whales to trumpeting fish to creaking lobsters, the underwater world is full of sound. Researchers are using underwater microphones to eavesdrop on this aquatic orchestra and learn more about the animals lurking beneath the waves. But we've discovered a problem... Man-made noise pollution is changing the soundscape of our ocean. Join us to learn more about this commotion in the ocean and what we can potentially do to help silence our seas.