It is with great pleasure that we announce the completion of the new atlas, entitled, Mammals in Wiltshire, 2nd Edition.
The new atlas can be downloaded here, free of charge. Mammals in Wiltshire_2nd edition_ver 1.0
The intention has been to produce a freely-accessible web-based document to ensure the information is widely available, not least to the many recorders and organisations contributing to its production. Furthermore, such a document can be easily updated in the near future as new survey findings and data are added. The version number and future additions will be listed in the introductory pages of the document.
This publication has been supported by Wiltshire Natural History Publications Trust, whose grant supported the map production and data management by WSBRC. Huge thanks are extended to the many other contributors, including those writing species accounts, capturing data, surveying and submitting records and to Dr Fiona Mathews and Dr Patrick Dillon for providing their insights for the foreword.
There has been a huge effort since 2013 to deliver this work. To assist with more of this work by Wiltshire Mammal Group, Wiltshire Bat Group and WSBRC, we’d be grateful if you could make a donation using this link. Wiltshire Wildlife Trust are kindly hosting this donation page and all funding will be administered by WSBRC to support future atlas projects as well as bat group and mammal group projects.
Suggested donation – £10 for individuals, £25 for ecological consultancies and other organisations.
It is hoped that this atlas will help to promote the importance of the county, its habitats and mammal species, to a wider audience, promoting the importance of safeguarding important sites for mammals, now and in the future, to local planning authorities, statutory bodies such as Natural England and Environment Agency, as well as nature reserve managers across the county. This includes those sites where mammals are the feature of interest for designated sites, for example the bat species listed on the Special Areas of Conservation at Bath & Bradford-on-Avon and Chilmark Quarries, and Dormice included as features of the Savernake Forest SSSI.
Wiltshire is an incredible county supporting significant numbers of many of the UK’s species of conservation, ranging from recovering populations of Otters and Polecat, to Brown Hare, Water vole, Harvest Mice and Hedgehog. The county also supports nationally and internationally-important sites for bats (such as the SACs mentioned above). Furthermore, recent surveys are highlighting important populations of rare woodland bats such as Bechstein’s and Barbastelle bats.
Help support your local mammal populations, whether by supporting the Hedgehogs in your garden, or supporting the survey work by the mammal group and bat group.
The atlas project may complete, but we still need to continue the survey and monitoring of mammals across Wiltshire – we will deliver updates to the atlas as we make new significant discoveries and advances in knowledge. Please keep submitting your records.
Happy reading!
Wiltshire Mammal Portal 