Badgers and people: A thousand years of love and hate
Patrick Barkham.
With the second year of the government's badger cull kicking off, the first lecture in our winter series focuses on one of the most controversial issues currently affecting our wildlife. Patrick's talk will take us through the problematic history of humans and badgers from Anglo-Saxon hunting to bovine TB today. Why are we always in conflict with our largest surviving carnivorous mammal?
Monday 13th October 7pm: Oxford Natural History Museum
All welcome (booking advised: events@oxonmammals.org.uk).
OxMG members free; non-members £3.00 on door.
The River Singers
Tom Moorhouse (WildCRU).
Tom Moorhouse offers an enthralling insight into the perilous lives of the endangered water vole. Tom studied this special species for eight years as an ecologist so he has lots of fascinating facts about these marvellous creatures and their riverbank habitat filled with predators and dangers. Find out how he transformed the stories of these real creatures into a fictional adventure tale -The River Singers.
Monday 10th November 7pm: Oxford Natural History Museum
All welcome (booking advised: events@oxonmammals.org.uk).
OxMG members free; non-members £3.00 on door.
A Prickly Affair: Life, love and why the hedgehog is the most important creature on the planet
Hugh Warwick.
A light-hearted exposition on the wonder that is the hedgehog. This awesome animal is having a hard time at the moment and Hugh Warwick will explain what is happening, what we can do about it and why we should care so very much.
Monday 8th December 7pm: Oxford Natural History Museum
All welcome (booking advised: events@oxonmammals.org.uk).
OxMG members free; non-members £3.00 on door.
Domestic cat predation: what is your cat getting up to when it leaves through the cat flap?
Becky Thomas.
Cats are one of the country's favourite pets. With such high densities of cats in urban areas, what effect are these predators having on our wildlife and can we do anything to reduce their impact? Becky Thomas of the University of Reading and Chair of Berkshire Mammal Group will tell us more.
Monday 12th January 7pm: Oxford Natural History Museum
All welcome (booking advised: events@oxonmammals.org.uk).
OxMG members free; non-members £3.00 on door.
The pine marten and polecat in Britain
Lizzie Croose.
Vincent Wildlife Trust's Lizzie Croose talks about the ecology of the pine marten and the polecat, two of the rarest and most elusive mustelids in Britain. Lizzie will discuss current research by VWT on both species, including an exciting project to reinforce pine marten populations in England and Wales.
Monday 9th February 7pm: Oxford Natural History Museum
All welcome (booking advised: events@oxonmammals.org.uk).
OxMG members free; non-members £3.00 on door.
Brown hares vs rabbits
Lucy Lush.
Lucy Lush of the Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre talks about the ecology of and interactions between the brown hare and the European rabbit. Lucy's PhD research compared species distribution in lowland pastures and investigated the influence of cattle and sheep.
Monday 9th March 7pm: Oxford Natural History Museum
All welcome (booking advised: events@oxonmammals.org.uk).
OxMG members free; non-members £3.00 on door.
THE 2014 OUTDOOR EVENTS
Friday 6th June, 4pm - Saturday 7th June, 5pm
Festival of Nature, Cutteslowe park
Small mammal trapping, short talks, demonstrations, competitions, displays and much, much more ... don't miss it!
Sunday 15th June
Dormouse survey at Piddington, near Bicester.
Woodland walk checking nest boxes and looking for other signs of small mammal activity, led by Peter Newbold.
Times and meeting point provided on booking. Numbers limited, booking required.
8th - 11th July
Small Mammal trapping at Besselsleigh Wood, Wootton.
Brush up your trapping techniques and small-mammal recognition skills, led by Dr Amanda Lloyd.
Any of the following sessions may be booked:
Tuesday 8th July: morning (8.00am) / evening (7.00pm)
Wednesday 9th July: morning (8.00am) / evening (7.00pm)
Thursday 10th July: morning (8.00am) / evening (7.00pm)
Friday 11th July: morning (8.00am)
Location is near Appleton (West Oxfordshire) - details supplied on booking. Numbers limited, booking required.
Sunday 20th July
Dormouse survey at Piddington, near Bicester.
Woodland walk checking nest boxes and looking for other signs of small mammal activity, led by Peter Newbold.
Times and meeting point provided on booking. Numbers limited, booking required.
Thursday 21st August
Dormouse survey at Piddington, near Bicester.
Woodland walk checking nest boxes and looking for other signs of small mammal activity, led by Peter Newbold.
Meet at 17:30; meeting point provided on booking. Numbers limited, booking required.
Saturday 30th August, 6:00pm
Family picnic and dusk walk at Shotover Park, Oxford.
A family-friendly event - chat and socialise on a balmy summers evening. Bring your own picnic (no barbeques please, due to fire-risk).
Meet at the main car park (SP 5642 0622), which is at the East end of Old Road, Headington (see http://www.shotover-wildlife.org.uk/sw_how2get2.htm).
A joint event by Oxon Mammal Group and Shotover Wildlife group - members and non-members welcome.
Sunday 7th September, 11.00am - 5:00pm
Wychwood Forest Fair at Cornbury Park, Charlbury.
Short talks and demonstrations, competitions and displays - plus all the fun of the fair!
Saturday 13th September, 12.00am - 4:00pm
Oxfordshire Goes Wild in Bicester, Bure Park School and nature reserve, Bicester.
Demonstrations, competitions, displays and much, much more ... don't miss it!
Monday 15th September
Dormouse survey at Piddington, near Bicester.
Woodland walk checking nest boxes and looking for other signs of small mammal activity, led by Peter Newbold.
Meet at 17:30; meeting point provided on booking. Numbers limited, booking required.
Saturday 1st November
Harvest mouse survey training, 10:00am - 4:30pm
Field-based training: how to spot Harvest mouse nests, led by Mammal Society's Derek Crawley.
Meet at Chimney Meadows (BBOWT reserve) main visitor car park (SP 3539 0126). Two training sessions are planned for the day: 10:00 - 13:00 and 13:30 - 16:30.
Booking required (max. 20 people).
Autumn Bats - Wytham Woods (date to be arranged)
Dusk walk around Wytham Woods, led by Dr Merryl Gelling.
Family friendly. Chance to enjoy the woods at dusk, with signs of different mammals being pointed out - we may also see and hear various species too!
Please note: for insurance purposes outdoor events are only open to Oxfordshire Mammal Group members.
For more information about membership please see our Membership page.