Public engagement and school outreach

We visit primary and secondary schools to deliver interactive lessons on otter ecology and the threats facing freshwater ecosystems. Recently, we ran a session for Year 3 and 4 students at a primary school in South Cardiff, exploring water pollution, food chains, and biomagnification. The students particularly enjoyed meeting our taxidermy otters and the hands-on biomagnification activity which helped bring these complex concepts to life. We have also run a workshop for a Widening Participation Summer School for Year 12 students, which was designed to promote university to students traditionally under-represented in higher education.

We also take part in Cardiff University’s annual Primary School Graduation Event, held in partnership with Cardiff Council's Passport to the City. This event gives Year 5 and 6 pupils from local primary schools the chance to engage in hands-on activities and celebrate their achievements in a university setting. Additionally, we have participated in Cardiff University’s ‘So What STEM’ event, which introduces Year 7 and 8 students to the world of science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) through interactive demonstrations and hands-on activities.

We actively contribute to student learning at Cardiff University, providing hands-on experience and insights into wildlife research.

As part of the Exploring Biosciences Activity Day, we deliver lectures to first- and second-year undergraduates, guiding them through the otter post-mortem procedure and answering their questions. We also offer undergraduate and postgraduate students the opportunity to assist in the post-mortem lab, gaining invaluable experience in otter anatomy, wildlife health assessments, and post-mortem techniques. Additionally, students have the chance to develop field skills by learning how to conduct otter surveys, equipping them with key techniques for monitoring wild populations.

We take part in science and cultural festivals, sharing our research through interactive activities and engaging talks.

At the Cardiff Science Festival, we’ve run family-friendly workshops where children and parents explore otter diets by sorting pretend stomach contents, alongside our interactive outreach stand. At the National Eisteddfod, we’ve engaged visitors of all ages with hands-on activities showcasing otter ecology and conservation. We’ve also taken part in Between the Trees festival in Merthyr Mawr, delivering a talk on otters and freshwater ecosystems, bringing science and nature together in a unique outdoor setting.

We deliver community talks to raise awareness of the vital role otters play in freshwater ecosystems.

Recently we presented our research to the Save the River Usk group, in collaboration with Gwent Wildlife Trust, and have presented at the Unknown Wales and Mammal Society public conferences. We’ve also given talks to the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, highlighting our work on otter conservation, and at the Science Café Cardiff evenings held by The Porters Bar in Cardiff.

Additionally, as part of IOSF World Otter Day, celebrated every May, we have delivered online talks on conservation genetics and water pollution, and we have broadcast an otter post mortem live over social media, bringing our research to a wider audience.

We collaborate with conservation groups to share our research and support efforts in otter monitoring and habitat protection. We are very grateful to the otter and wildlife groups across the country who assist us by collecting, storing, and delivering otters found dead, enabling our research on otter and freshwater health and conservation.

We have worked with the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, supporting their annual Otters in the City event in Bute Park, which helps connect local communities with the wildlife in their urban rivers, particularly otters. We have also supported with their Save Our Taff group, assisting with otter surveys along the River Taff and providing expertise on monitoring techniques.

We have also worked with otters groups, particularly the South Wales Otter Trust and Somerset Otter Group, assisting with otter surveying and engagement activities.

We share our latest research, events, and unusual finds in the post mortem lab through our biannual newsletter and social media channels. You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, X, Bluesky, and LinkedIn for updates, and sign up to our newsletters.

We also contribute to the WILDCOMS newsletter, a collaborative network of UK surveillance schemes monitoring disease and contaminants in vertebrate wildlife, and have contributed to other newsletters, such as Shropshire Mammal Group. Additionally, PhD students Sarah du Plessis, Emily O’Rourke, Holly Hulme and Sarah Raymond have written blogs for the Mammal Society, sharing insights from their research.

Our work has also been featured in national media outlets, including BBC News, The Times, The Independent, and The Guardian, helping to raise awareness of otter conservation and freshwater pollution on a wider scale.