The People’s Trust for Endangered Species is asking the public to look out for mammals on Hertfordshire’s roads as part of a citizen science project

The People’s Trust for Endangered Species is asking the public to look out for mammals on Hertfordshire’s roads as part of a citizen science project. The wildlife charity needs families, car-sharing commuters and other road users to record sightings of mammals, dead or alive, as part of its annual Mammals on Roads survey. This year the trust has created an app to encourage more people to get involved.

A recent report by The Mammal Society found a shocking one in five wild mammal species in Britain is at risk of extinction.The information collected in the survey will help identify where conservation is needed and chart the changing trends in populations of species such as badgers and hedgehogs.

David Wembridge, surveys officer at the trust, said, ‘At the moment, a lot of what we know is still a ‘best guess’ and what we really need are good records of mammals and of all sorts of species, more generally. Better estimates of numbers will help us understand our wildlife and the ‘natural health’ of the nation.’

Previous findings revealed the steep decline in hedgehog numbers leading to a nationwide conservation campaign, Hedgehog Street, backed by 50,000 volunteers.

Sightings can be submitted online at ptes.org/mor or via the Mammals on Roads app. Alternatively, a printed survey pack can be requested by emailing mor@ptes.org

The survey runs until September 30.