Team III-
May 19-24, 2006
Oxford, England
Expedition Overview-
Research Mission:
Monitor populations of British mammals to improve their management in the
idyllic countryside around Oxford.
Situation Report
Wytham Woods, Oxford, England — This 775-hectare estate, lying
in a loop of the River Thames five kilometers outside of the city of
Oxford, is a microcosm of the English countryside. A picturesque landscape
of ancient woodlands, conifer plantations, grassland, and farmland, the
site is home to 27 mammal species, from badgers to introduced muntjac
deer. Oxford University, which owns the estate, has conducted research on
these mammal populations for more than 50 years. Now Drs. Chris Newman
and Christina Buesching are combining several mammal research projects
for a comprehensive survey that can be expanded to other habitats across
the U.K. Findings will help wildlife managers predict the impact of
climate change on badgers, manage deer populations to encourage the
recovery of bank vole populations, and make other conservation decisions
On the Expedition
Against the backdrop of the idyllic English woods and fields, team members
will help Newman and Buesching in a variety of field tasks, rotating
through several tasks each day for a comprehensive view on Britain's
mammals. Tasks include everything from watching badgers to count the
number of adults and cubs in each “sett” to counting rabbit and deer
droppings. Participants may also humanely trap small mammals such as bank
voles and field mice, spotlight for deer, monitor bark damage from gray squirrels, locate bats along woodland transects, and use camera traps to sample populations of stoats and weasels.
Tentative Itinerary
Day 1: Rendezvous, orientation, and a health and safety briefing. Following dinner there will an ice-breaker activity and more general introductions.
Day 2: You will be picked up at 09.00 hrs to travel to the woods. Upon arrival you will begin to prepare small mammal traps and go on a guided tour of Wytham. After lunch you will put out small mammal traps inside and outside the deer exclosure for comparisons, and will be shown a badger sett. The evening meal will be at the Field Station, and will be followed by badger sett observations. If weather permits you will be given a demonstration of a bat detector.
Days 3-5: You will be picked up at 09.00 hrs to travel to the woods. Upon arrival you will check Longworth traps and record and release small mammals. After lunch you will survey for deer droppings and check traps. The evening meal will be at the Field Station and will be followed by badger sett observations.
Day 6: You will be picked up at 09.00 hrs to travel to the woods. Upon arrival you will check traps and record and release small mammals. This will be followed by a deer dropping survey. After lunch you will be brought to the Field Station for a wrap-up discussion. You will be taken back to the YHA at 13.00 hrs.
Daily Schedule and Tasks-
09.00: Pick up to travel up to the woods
09.30-12.30: Fieldwork
12.30: Lunch
13.30-17.00: Fieldwork
17.00: Evening meal at the Field Station
18.30: Badger watching
21.00: Talk
22.00: Finish
