Awards
We give out a number of awards each year to highlight, celebrate and reward excellence in the conservation sector.
These remarkable individuals truly embody the spirit of the Mammal Society's mission, and their unwavering dedication sets a shining example for all of us.
We extend our warmest congratulations to all of the winners, past and present, and express our gratitude for their outstanding contributions to mammal conservation. Through their efforts, as well as others who are contributing everyday through surveys and other conservation initiatives, the future of Britain's mammals looks brighter.
Mammal Society Medal
The Mammal Society Award celebrates individuals whose contributions have significantly advanced the field of mammal conservation.
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Andrew Kitchener
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Describing himself as a "Wildlife Biologist with an interest in evidence-based mammal conservation" puts Dr Henry Schofield's immeasurable impact of over 30 years of dedicated work in wildlife conservation extremely lightly to say the least. From early encounters with bats to becoming the Head of Conservation with the Vincent Wildlife Trust (VWT), Henry's journey has been a testament to evidence-based conservation. Henry began working for the Hon. Vincent Wier in 1990 (later to become the VWT), researching lesser horseshoe bats for his PhD thesis, and in doing so generating projects with practical conservation applications, and distilling that knowledge into the highly useful (and well thumbed) Lesser Horseshoe Conservation Handbook. It would not at all be an exaggeration to say that the work carried out by Henry and his VWT colleagues, as well as the collaboration with other researchers and the Bat Conservation Trust (BCT) is a major factor in why the lesser horseshoe bat is one of the few bat species that are on an upward trajectory.
His pioneering work on lesser horseshoe bats has not only led to a wealth of knowledge but also practical applications that have contributed to the species' positive trajectory. Henry's extensive research, collaborations, and communication efforts have reshaped our understanding of bat and mammal conservation. Through his work with VWT, Henry has an impressive list of publications that include other bat and mammal species across Great Britain, Ireland and Europe, focusing on key conservation questions - status, habitat requirements, access to resources and novel monitoring techniques to name a few. His contributions continue to inspire and guide our conservation efforts.
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We proudly recognize the accomplishments of Professor Fiona Mathews, the winner of The Mammal Society Award in 2022. As Professor of Environmental Biology at the University of Sussex, Fiona's influence on mammal conservation spans various fronts. Fiona is Professor of Environmental Biology at the University of Sussex. She is the founding Chair of Mammal Conservation Europe, author of the UK government’s official census of British mammals and of its internationally-sanctioned Red List, co-author of the State of Nature Reports in 2016 and 2019, lead editor on the new Atlas of Mammals of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. She advises the UK government and its devolved authorities on a variety of conservation issues. From 2015 to 2021 she served as Chair of the Mammal Society. Fiona's commitment to sharing her knowledge extends to media appearances, where she has enlightened audiences through platforms such as Radio 4's Today Programme and Countryfile. Her tireless efforts exemplify the ideals of The Mammal Society Award.
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2014: Penny and Dave Lewns. 2013: Paul Chanin. 2012: Ken West. 2011: Steph Wray. 2010: Richard Shore. 2009: Derek Bensley. 2008: Rob Strachan. 2007: David Macdonald. 2006: James Fairley. 2005: Martyn Gorman and Kim King. 2004: Sir David Attenborough. 2003: Johnny Birks. 2002: Alison Burton. 2000: Gordon Woodroffe. 1999: Don Jefferies. 1997: Hans Kruuk. 1996: Paul Racey. 1994: Phil Richardson. 1993: Doug and Michael Woods. 1992: Bob Stebbings. 1991: Nigel Bonner and Ray Hewson. 1990: Gordon Corbet and Stephen Harris. 1989: Derek Yalden and Pat Morris. 1988: Libby Lenton. 1987: Ian Linn. 1986: John Flowerdew. 1983: Don and Norma Chapman. 1981: John Clevedon Brown. 1980: Ernest Neal. 1977: Jo Pickvance. 1976: Dr D.M. Stoddart. 1973: Lord Cranbrook and L. Harrison Matthews.
Richard Shore Prize
Named in memory of the late and much-missed Vice-Chair of the Mammal Society, the Richard Shore Prize celebrates individuals who have demonstrated remarkable commitment to protecting Britain's mammals.
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Dr. Helen O'Brien's journey from police officer into the world of ecology has been inspirational. From her early research on Dormice to her engagement with local communities in search of water voles, Helen's contributions have made a lasting impact. As the County Mammal Recorder for Leicestershire & Rutland, Helen has worked tirelessly to verify records and promote the conservation of various mammal species. She has worked closely with the Leicestershire & Rutland Environmental Resource Centre (LRERC) and NatureSpot (a local recording database under the umbrella of iRecord), to verify records submitted by local people to better understand the status of mammals in the counties.
It was from attending a virtual talk given by Derek Crawley during the COVID-19 pandemic, that the Leicestershire & Rutland Mammal Group was formed, set up and chaired by Dr Helen O'Brien. Helen continues to inspire more people to join her in her journey in mammal conservation. Her dedication and commitment has been evident - organising countless monitoring projects to help facilitate good management to assist conservation efforts as well as organise local studies on various mammals including hedgehogs, dormice, harvest mice, otters and more. The group runs monthly meetings and have encouraged more people to get involved in mammals in the local area.
Helen Rasmussen's profound love for nature beginning from a very young age has guided her journey in mammal conservation. A chance conversation in 2004 introduced her to the Staffordshire Mammal Group and current Mammal Society Vice-Chair, Derek Crawley. She would later go on to joining the Staffordshire Mammal Group committee, heavily involved in building the website and Facebook group. Despite moving to Derby, she remained on the Staffordshire Mammal Group committee, becoming a verifier for the local area, though when she eventually moved to Rutland, she joined Helen O'Brien in the Leicestershire & Rutland Mammal Group and began verifying in the VC55 area.
Throughout all this, Helen's impact has been exceptional. She has shown her commitment to protecting Britain's mammals with projects like the local mammal atlas, square busting and 'crap calendars', and with them her love for mammal ecology continued to grow. Helen's commitment to education and involvement, even during challenging times, reflects her dedication to ensuring the next generations cherish and protect our diverse mammal species.
Working together in the Leicestershire & Rutland Mammal Group, Helen O'Brien and Helen Rasmussen have continued to share their love for mammals with more and more people, setting up a programme of walks and talks, as well as training workshops to get people to join in and record mammals in the two counties. Among the many initiatives the two Helens have worked together on, the launch of the Mammal Spotter Competition in August 2022 - which saw the innovative use of CCTV cameras at the local university campus to survey and record mammals - saw a surge of new members and participants getting involved with the mammal group. Working collaboratively, with Helen Rasmussen devising the scoring mechanism while Helen O'Brien handled the verification, this initiative helped boost the fox and badger records in Leicester greatly! The 2nd Mammal Spotter Competition started on the 1st of August, and if you would like to get involved, please contact the mammal group at LandRmammals@gmail.com.
Both Helens have exemplified the spirit of the Richard Shore Prize by dedicating their work to mammal conservation. Their efforts have ignited passion, fostered community engagement, and created lasting change in our approach to mammal conservation that we at the Mammal Society are incredibly proud to honour with this prize.
President's Award
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Dr Kalema-Zikusoka was Uganda’s first wildlife vet and was responsible for mountain gorilla health when they first started to acclimatise them to people to kickstart tourism in Bwindi. She quickly realised that the health of both indigenous people and tourists profoundly affected gorilla health, and founded an organisation call ‘Conservation Through Public Health’. They provide health care in the villages, alongside family planning and education, which has benefited both people and gorillas – a ‘One Health’ approach. She has gone on to form social enterprises and other income-generating schemes to support people so that they are not as reliant on the forest, which has significantly reduced poaching and encroachment of habitat, and led to greater understating and tolerance.
Mammal Champions
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Lyndon Howson, a student at the University of Chester, has been recognised for spearheading the Hedgehog Friendly Campus Project on his campus. Over the past 18 months, Lyndon has transformed the initiative from a small team of 7 volunteers to a group of over 170 individuals, facilitating camera trapping surveys, hedgehog tunnels, habitat management, and meadow planting. As a result of his work, the campus’s hedgehog population has grown from zero to eight, with three hoglets born last year. “I am absolutely thrilled and honoured to have been selected as a joint recipient for this amazing award,” Lyndon said. “I look forward to equipping myself with additional resources for future mammal actions with my hedgehog project.”
Sivakhami Sivanesan, Biodiversity and Landscape Manager at Kingston University, has been recognised for leading the university’s strategy for biodiversity, resulting in it being named ‘one of the most wildlife-friendly universities in the UK’ and achieving a gold award from Hedgehog Friendly Campuses. Sivakshami has also ran conservation events and opportunities for students and local volunteers, including partnering with the Mammal Society to provide training in mammal tracks and signs identification. “This is amazing - I wasn’t expecting it given the amazing work of the other nominees,” Sivakshami said.
Other winners of the awards include the Cornwall Mammal Group, which won the Group Mammal Champions Award, and Susanna Ramsey, who won the Volunteer Mammal Champions Award. Spearheaded by Dave Groves, Cornwall Mammal Group has built a comprehensive picture of local harvest mouse distribution through participating in the Mammal Society’s annual survey and increased public engagement with the mammals of Cornwall. “We’re very proud to have been awarded a Mammal Champion award,” said Dave. Mammal Society volunteer Susanna Ramsey helped define the owl pellet donation and dissection methodology now employed nationwide by the Mammal Society to monitor for the spread of the potentially invasive greater white-toothed shrew, and created an essential mammal bone photo ID guide to help improve data gathered from owl pellet dissection. “It is amazing to have been selected out of so many worthy nominees. Volunteers play such an important role in conservation charities, so it is great to have our contribution recognised,” she said.
“We identified that it was of particular importance to our members that the Mammal Champions Awards shine a spotlight on less commonly recognised forms of dedication to mammals, and achievements that fall outside the categories that our other annual awards already seek to reward,” said Matt Larsen-Daw, CEO of the Mammal Society.