VOLUNTEERS throughout Dorset are being urged to help future conservation efforts by looking out for native mammals.

Wildlife charity People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) needs the public's help with its annual Living with Mammals survey.

Last year, the top five mammals recorded were (in order): grey squirrels, foxes, mice, hedgehogs and bats. From April, PTES wants people to record sightings of Britain’s ‘big five’, plus any other mammals they see.

Volunteers can take part between Monday, April 1 and Sunday, June 30, reporting the mammals they see, or their signs, in any local green space – from gardens and allotments to parks or green spaces near to work. The chosen survey site can be in an urban, suburban or rural location, so long as the area is within 200 metres of a building.

David Wembridge, Surveys Officer at PTES explains: “Green spaces, and the wildlife they support, are important—they provide food, clean air and water, and make us healthier and happier. Counting our wild neighbours, and knowing how their populations are changing, is a health-check on our towns and cities.”

Volunteers can spend anything from ten minutes a week at their chosen site to several hours and can take part either individually or as part of a group.

Volunteers are asked to record their findings online at ptes.org/LWM, which has more information on how to spot mammals.