Category: News and events

Join COEXIST as a volunteer! 

Posted on behalf of the COEXIST network, this is not an MWN related activity!

Local volunteers are invited to take part in COEXIST, a nationwide programme monitoring human-wildlife encounters in the UK. COEXIST takes a multidisciplinary approach, combining cutting-edge technology, field methods, and community engagement to understand where and why these encounters occur. We bring together local residents, universities, councils, and wildlife  organisations to support human-wildlife coexistence in an ever-changing world. 

What will volunteers do? You will join our team and be trained to help monitor wildlife behaviour in your local area, such as deploying and checking equipment (e.g., trail cameras, puzzle feeders, or acoustic recorders). You will also help us distribute fliers within these same locations to encourage residents to complete a short (<10min) online questionnaire about their experiences and attitudes towards local wildlife. You will help record local environmental characteristics, such as the presence of food, shelter, and other resources available to wildlife. Finally, you will help manually code and upload your observations to our secure online dashboard where councils and conservation partners can use the data to help guide locally tailored strategies to promote coexistence. All equipment will be provided, and we will train you through a series of workshops, video tutorials, and online guides before you begin.

Why it matters: Urban growth, climate change, and nature restoration are changing where wildlife live in the UK, creating more opportunities for people and wildlife to encounter each other. While many human-wildlife encounters can be positive or neutral (e.g., bird watching), others can lead to conflict (e.g., animals raiding gardens, bins and chicken coops). Nationally, human-wildlife conflicts cost millions (£) per year to manage, and yet many of these costs could be avoided through early detection and simple preventative measures where wildlife and people can both benefit. Local authorities, such as councils and conservation organisations, often lack the resources to systematically monitor these human-wildlife interactions, limiting their ability to help communities respond with early, locally tailored strategies to reduce conflict and promote coexistence. By enabling residents to take an active role in helping to collect data within the local area, COEXIST opens a two-way dialogue between communities and local authorities, helping to guide more effective, targeted actions while giving residents an active voice in shaping how wildlife and communities thrive together.

How much time is required? Volunteers will typically spend approximately 25 hours in total (~2-4 hours per week for 8 weeks) during April and May, which includes your training. While the time commitment per week is important to ensure data are collected reliably and on time, individual tasks can be broken into short, flexible sessions, and the specific days and times can be arranged to suit your availability within each week.

Who can volunteer? You must (1) be 18 years or older, (2) have a smartphone and computer for data collection, (3) be able to travel (~1-5km) to one of our study sites within your local area, (4) be able to commit ~2-4 hrs per week for 8 weeks, (5) be physically able and willing to work safely during daylight hours and in variable weather, and (6) have a keen interest in wildlife and outdoor activities.

What’s in it for you? Volunteering with COEXIST lets you make a real difference to local wildlife and your community. By joining the team, your observations will help local authorities, such as city councils and conservation organisations, understand where and why human-wildlife interactions occur. This information can then be used to help inform effective and environmentally responsible strategies to support people and wildlife living together. You will gain hands-on experience in wildlife monitoring and citizen science. You will see how data and technology are used to understand and reduce human-wildlife conflicts, and you will develop practical skills in animal observation, field methodology, and environmental problem-solving with other like-minded volunteers.

Ethics and governance. COEXIST is ethically approved by the University of Hull and complies with all GDPR and animal welfare regulations from the UK government. All study sites have landowner permission and local authority involvement.

Interested? Questions about volunteering for COEXIST should be directed to Dr Blake Morton (b.morton@hull.ac.uk) at the University of Hull. If you wish to volunteer, you will be required to read and sign a volunteer notice, which provides more information and sets out a number of policies and guidelines. Dr Morton’s staff profile can be found at: https://www.hull.ac.uk/staff-directory/blake-morton

The developers behind the proposed Dogger Bank South offshore wind farms are asking local residents what they’d like to see from a community benefit fund, and the consultation closes TODAY!

What’s This All About?

The Dogger Bank South (DBS) projects are a pair of proposed offshore wind farms being developed by RWE and Masdar, located over 100km off the East Yorkshire coast in the North Sea. If approved and built, they could generate enough renewable electricity to power around three million homes.

As part of the development, RWE and Masdar are proposing a community fund of up to £1 million for communities near the projects’ onshore infrastructure. The onshore converter stations would be located to the southwest of Beverley, near the village of Bentley, so it’s the communities in that area who stand to benefit.

Why Should Wildlife Lovers Care?

This is where it gets interesting for us. The consultation is asking local people what the fund should be spent on and how it should be managed. That means there’s a real opportunity here to push for nature recovery, habitat restoration, wildlife-friendly green spaces, or community growing projects or whatever matters most to your local area.

Community funds like these don’t come along every day, and if local wildlife and conservation groups make their voices heard, there’s genuine potential to secure funding that benefits both people and nature. Think pollinator corridors, wetland restoration, community orchards, wildlife education programmes — the possibilities are exciting.

How to Have Your Say

You can fill in the online survey here: Dogger Bank South Community Fund Consultation

If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably noticed how the best wildlife corridors in our area aren’t always in nature reserves, sometimes they’re tucked between allotment plots, winding through community gardens, or popping up in the most unexpected urban corners. That’s exactly the kind of thing a brilliant new series of free workshops is setting out to explore this spring, and we wanted to make sure it’s on your radar.

“Entangled” Where Food Growing Meets Nature Recovery

Entangled is a series of four free workshops running across Hull and East Riding from late April through to the end of May. Led by Claire Gribben, a teaching fellow in Sustainable Cities and Food Systems and PhD researcher at the University of Leeds, these sessions dig into the fascinating relationship between urban food growing and nature recovery. If you’ve ever wondered whether your veg patch is doing more for local biodiversity than you realise, this is your kind of event.

Claire is no stranger to our patch, either. She’s a former coordinator of Hull and East Riding Friends of the Earth and has spent years researching urban agriculture and its links to the natural world. So expect proper, grounded knowledge, not just theory.

Each workshop runs for about four hours and includes a shared lunch, which sounds like a lovely way to meet like-minded people in your area.

The Dates and Venues

Friday 24th April, 11am–3pm Learning Resources Centre, Eppleworth Road, Cottingham, HU16 5YF (at Worklink Cottingham)

Friday 1st May, 11am–3pm Bowling Pavilion, Pearson Park, Hull, HU5 2SY

Monday 18th May, 12:30pm–4:30pm TimeBank Hull & East Riding, 24 Swanfield Road, Hull, HU9 4PX (at Marfleet Community Centre)

Saturday 30th May, 11am–3pm Beverley Minster Parish Hall, 38 Highgate, Beverley, HU17 0DN

We talk a lot on this blog about supporting local wildlife, hedgehog highways, pollinator-friendly planting, leaving the wild edges alone. But the conversation about how our food-growing spaces fit into the bigger picture of nature recovery is one that doesn’t get enough attention. These workshops look like a great chance to think about that connection in a really hands-on, community-focused way.

All four events are completely free, but you’ll want to grab a ticket through Eventbrite to secure your place. You can find all the details and book at: Entangled — Hull and East Riding on Eventbrite

We’re not involved in organising these events — we just think they’re well worth shouting about. See you there, perhaps!

These events are run by Paul Bateman, Rural & Wildlife Crime Co-ordinator, Crimestoppers (Humberside Committee). Please consider signing up if you would be interested in an active role in badger protection.

Both events take place at Rawcliffe Village Hall DN14 8QR.

• Badger Crime Training Workshop with Crime Scene Awareness, 22nd March
• Badger Persecution & Wildlife Crime Scene Awareness Training Inc Practical, 26th April

For the second Love Your Yew Week, the Ancient Yew Group and Caring for God’s Acre, is asking custodians of ancient and veteran yews to clear beneath the canopy—removing all objects at least a metre beyond the branches, as roots extend further than the canopy.

England and Wales host around 800 of these churchyard yews, making Britain a global stronghold for veteran yew trees. They’re a national treasure deserving recognition and celebration.

Each year the Ancient Yew Group suggests one achievable management task. February is ideal, before nesting season and typically quieter for other work. Participants receive a certificate to display, highlighting these remarkable trees.

Please join in and send them before and after photos! They’d love to see people in your photos (with their permission, as these go on their website). For more information see: https://www.caringforgodsacre.org.uk/love-your-yew-week/

New Junior Naturalists Club Launches at Tophill Low Nature Reserve, Saturday, Jan 24 from 10 am to 12 pm!

Tophill Low Nature Reserve is launching a monthly wildlife club designed specifically for young naturalists aged 6-12.

The club offers children hands-on opportunities to explore the reserve, discover its resident wildlife, and learn how the site is actively managed for conservation. Through a mix of outdoor exploration, nature-themed crafts, games, and practical activities, young participants will develop their understanding of local ecology and environmental stewardship in an engaging, accessible format.

Age range: 6-12 years
Frequency: Monthly sessions (10 sessions throughout the year)
Cost: £5 per child, per session

This is an excellent opportunity for children with a budding interest in the natural world to learn through direct experience, guided by knowledgeable reserve staff in a setting that encourages curiosity and outdoor exploration.

Interested? Visit Eventbrite for registration details and upcoming session dates.

Get Involved: Supporting Badger Conservation in East Yorkshire

If you’re passionate about local wildlife and want to contribute to conservation efforts in our region, consider joining the East Yorkshire Badger Protection Group (EYBPG) this January.

Operating since 1987, EYBPG is an entirely volunteer-run organisation covering a vast area of our region—from Filey to Spurn Point, and from Malton (east of York) to Goole, including the Selby District. Their core mission is straightforward but vital: to locate, survey, record, and monitor badger setts across East Yorkshire, protecting both badgers (Meles meles) and their habitats.

Badger sett interference remains a significant threat, whether through deliberate criminal activity or simple lack of awareness among landowners and developers. EYBPG works to prevent both, providing advice and guidance to the public, delivering educational talks, and offering practical assistance including site visits when concerns arise.

The group collaborates closely with North Yorkshire and Humberside wildlife officers, Rural Crime Task Forces, and the RSPCA to uphold legislation protecting badgers under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 and the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

Membership is open to anyone with an interest in badger protection—no prior experience necessary. The level of involvement is entirely flexible: some members conduct regular sett monitoring, while others simply keep “eyes on setts” during their usual countryside walks. Even if you’re unable to participate actively, membership fees and donations provide crucial funding for camera equipment, rescue operations, and ongoing protection work.

EYBPG also supports The Badger Crowd (www.thebadgercrowd.org), which challenges government badger culling policies through legal action and provides reliable, science-based information on badger ecology and conservation.

Ready to join? Visit the East Yorkshire Badger Protection Group to sign up this January and help protect one of our region’s most iconic mammals.

Last year’s Big Garden Birdwatch saw an impressive turnout, with over 590,000 participants across the UK recording 9.1 million individual birds. While House Sparrows retained their position as the most commonly spotted garden visitor, the long-term picture reveals a troubling trend: populations of these once-ubiquitous birds have declined by 60% since the survey began in 1979.

This decline forms part of a broader pattern. Over the past six decades, the UK has lost 38 million birds from its skies, a stark reminder of the mounting pressures facing our avian communities. Habitat loss, changing agricultural practices, climate shifts, and reduced invertebrate abundance all contribute to these population trajectories.

The value of citizen science initiatives like the Birdwatch extends beyond simply counting what’s present. Absence data—the species we don’t see—provides equally crucial insights into range contractions, local extinctions, and shifting community composition. Each submitted survey, whether recording abundant species or noting conspicuous absences, contributes to our understanding of how garden bird assemblages are responding to environmental change.

As pressures on bird populations intensify, participatory monitoring becomes increasingly vital. The data gathered helps identify which species require targeted conservation intervention and tracks whether management strategies are working at a landscape scale.

Make sure you take your place in the 2026 survey!

Our friends at NEYEDC are excited to announce ‘Networks for Nature: A conference celebrating 25 years of NEYEDC’, which will be held later this year at York Hospitium on Sunday 7th December 2025.

The conference will include a day of talks, workshops and activities celebrating NEYEDC’s 25th anniversary and the past, present and future of nature and its recovery in our region. More information will be available in due course, including booking information and a programme of speakers at the NEYEDC site.