Wildlife

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  • Wildlife Student Membership£3.00
  • Wildlife Associate Membership£3.00

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Keele Wildlife Society is open to anyone who is interested in wildlife. If you would like to meet-up, make friends and share knowledge then this is a society for you!

What to expect?

The society aims to provide a place for people with a love and interest of wildlife to meet. For events and socials, we will go on walks around the Keele campus and further afield to allow time for wildlife spotting and adventures! We also aim to provide inspiring speakers and lectures on a variety of wildlife topics which may inspire and encourage a stronger passion for wildlife.

In our first year (2018/2019), we were shortlisted for Best New Society in the 2019 KeeleSU Society Awards, and won!
A few years later, in the 2023/2024 awards, we also won the Society of the Year Award for Best Activity-based Society!

This year, we will be holding sessions every other week dedicated to learning more about our wonderful wildlife. In these sessions we will further our knowledge by reseaching, holding discussions, and watching relevant films/documentaries in a friendly and relaxed environment. We will be learning about different species behaviour and relation to the natural world, as well as thinking about their threats and potential needs for conservation. As well as this we will be organising walks/trips on campus and in the Staffordshire area to help put into context what we have learnt. Other, even more exciting plans are in the works, so stay tuned! Keele Wildlife society is open to all, and is a great way to get to meet new people, we're looking forward to meeting you all! 

 

Bi-weekly wildlife session: Held on Mondays 5pm until 7pm in Chancellors - Room 0.007 (CBA0.007)

 

Our additional social events (walks, day trips and pub meets) will be organised and advertised through our society email, Whatsapp group and social media accounts. 

Join the Keele Hedgehog Friendly Campus Group here - http://www.greenimpact.org.uk/hedgehogfriendlycampus/register?team.id=9100 - Staff and students all welcome!! It is a great opportunity to get involved with biodiversity on campus. This is completely free to sign up to.

https://www.facebook.com/HedgehogFriendlyCampusKeele/ - Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/groups/KeeleHedgehogFriendlyCampus/ - Facebook Group

Connect with us!

Email: soc.wildlife@keele.ac.uk

Our brand new Discord server!: https://discord.gg/aHQ5NcWktN

Also follow us via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

Feel free to join our Facebook Group which you are welcome to join: https://www.facebook.com/groups/KeeleWildlifeSociety/

There are currently no upcoming events.
    There are no current meetings
    Wildlife Society Calendar!
    Keele Wildlife Society Calendar

    Keele Wildlife Society now has it's own calendar!

    Feel free to add it to your own calendar to stay up to date with what is going on in the world of the Wildlife Society! We will fill you in with all important dates, events and socials so keep your eye out!

    To add it, click this link (https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=soc.wildlife%40keele.ac.uk&ctz=Europe%2FLondon) or go to the Keele Wildlife Society homepage on the SU website (https://keelesu.com/activities/society/keelewildlifesociety/) and click '+GoogleCalendar'.

    Hope you find it as useful as we do!

     

     
    Elections!

    Hello all Wildlife enthusiasts,

    Thank you for your involvement with all of the recent Wildlife events at Keele! We hope you have enjoyed them as much as the committee has!

    It is that time of year again where you have the chance to be a committee member with the society for the next academic year. The positions available are:

    • The President
    • The Vice-President
    • The Treasurer
    • The Secretary
    • Welfare and Inclusion Officer 
    • The Speakers Officer
    • The Events Coordinator

    The President

    • The principal spokesperson and representative of the society
    • They shall have overall responsibility for the development and growth of the society.
    • They shall be responsible for performing the duties of any unelected officers in their absence.

    The Vice-President

    • They will assist the President and stand in their place if they are not available.
    • They shall be responsible for performing the duties of any officers in their absence

    The Treasurer

    • Ultimately responsible for the society account and shall ensure that society funds are spent sensibly and within the society means.
    • They shall be responsible for keeping financial records and producing a financial report to the society Annual General Meeting (AGM)

    The Secretary

    •  Responsible for taking minutes at all society meetings.
    • Maintaining the membership and mailing lists of the society.

    Welfare and Inclusion Officer

    • Attending specific welfare-related training to fulfil their role.
    • Working with the committee to plan socials that consider all members

    The Speakers Officer

    • Invites speakers and organises speaker events.
    • In charge of arranging venues and providing members with the opportunity to meet and network.

    The Events Coordinator

    • Thinks of ideas for events, socials and walks for the society.
    • Use social media to regularly promote and post about upcoming events.

     

    Nominate yourself now and help the Keele Wildlife Society continue to be a fantastic society!!!

    Important dates:

     

    Nominations

    OPEN: Monday 9th March (9am)

    CLOSE: Friday 20th March (9am)

    Voting

    OPEN: Saturday 21st March (9am)

    CLOSE: Thursday 26th March (9am)

    Results

    PUBLISH: Friday 27th March

     
    30 Days Wild - Wildlife Trust

    Hi all,

    This is the final newsletter from me as Secretary for Keele Wildlife Society. For this newsletter I wish to highlight a current campaign by The Wildlife Trust which you can all get involved with - just like members of the committee have been doing! 

    Check out The Wildlife Trust website here for more info and resources: https://action.wildlifetrusts.org/page/57739/petition/1

    This aims to encourage people to spend time with nature; even 5 minutes while drinking a cup of tea at your front door! Also, the website has a number of ideas to inspire 'Random Acts of Kindness'. Please share with us if you have been doing any of these! And enjoy 30 days of wild!!

    As mentioned recently, many of us are experiencing nature in new ways and enjoying the outdoors much more than before. This is fantastic!! In my last newsletter I highlighted this with my time spent walking around the countryside as well as the recent open letter to the society by Sophie (Society Treasurer). It is not just outside of our homes that we are noticing nature in new ways but within our own gardens. For example, this year different flowers and plants have been growing in my garden (see photos!) as a result of seeds being dropped by birds. Although this may not be appreciated by many gardeners, I am very much enjoying them and the wildlife coming to the garden are too! 

      

    As always - Keep in touch with us! 

    Keele Wildlife Society Secretary. 

     

     
    Wildlife activities at home

     

    Dear Fellow Wildlife Enthusiasts,

    This April edition of the Wildlife Society Newsletter hopes to provide you all with some ideas and activities which you can do to help wildlife at home. If there is anything which you have been doing please share with us on social media! 

    I have been taking part in the Garden Birdwatch; I am lucky to have seen a range of bird species in my garden. These have included Sparrows, Starlings and a regular Robin which has made a daily appearance at breakfast!. A number of birds are nesting with a young Blackbird finding its flight last week…. It took a few attempts and help but has been successful! If you are interested to take part in this take a look on their website here: https://www.bto.org/ 

    A number of wildlife related organisations and charities have been providing activity ideas. Here are a few pages:

    The Wildlife Trusts

    A number of different activity sheets; for example, creating a hedgehog highway (this can be done with a fence or hedge - anyway you can alter your own gardens to increase Hedgehog mobility!). Another easy way to help nature is by making your own bird feeder; this is something I have very fond memories of doing myself as a child.

    For more information and alternative ideas check out The Wildlife Trusts website here: https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wild-activities-families-and-schools

    RSPB

    Here you can select the wildlife which you would like to help; this allows you to choose activities which are most appropriate for your location and garden. For example, to help Bees, why not build a Bee B&B? Or you can help Frogs, Toads and Dragonflies by creating a mini pond. Even if you do not have a garden pond this is still an activity for you; all you need is a large container, some rocks and small plants. 

    See the RSPB website for more: https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/give-nature-a-home-in-your-garden/garden-activities/

    Zooniverse

    If you are looking for ways to help wildlife online then you could check out Zooniverse. This provides a range of online volunteering to help science and research. Examples include: identifying species and behaviour from cameras, transcribe historical documents and classify sound recordings.

    Take a look on the website and find something which is of interest to you: https://www.zooniverse.org/#projects

    I hope you are safe, well and enjoying nature!

     
    What is happening to wildlife during COVID-19?

     

    What is happening to wildlife during COVID-19?

    As we all know, staying indoors at the moment can be dull and make us desperate to once again be reunited with wildlife and the outdoors. Many of us are still doing what we can to continue enjoying nature by looking outside of our windows, spending time in our gardens or during our daily exercise. Keele Wildlife Society Treasurer, Sophie Tankard, has shared some photos of the wildlife which she has encountered during her lockdown experience including wild deer and butterflies!

                                                    Butterfly by Sophie Tankard                                         Deer by Sophie Tankard

    (Photos: Sophie Tankard)

    Have you had any wildlife encounters which you would like to share with the society? If so, let us know via email or social media!

    It is wonderful to see nature flourishing and behaving in unusual and often unseen ways due to the lack of human presence. For example, wild flowers are growing on the roadsides. Due to the current situation, councils have stopped the cutting of these areas as a result of the redirection of finances and staff shortages. Charities such as Plantlife, who have campaigned for the reduced mowing and cutting of roadside plants for many years, hope that councils will change their previous methods due to the flourishing and benefits for nature. In addition, reduced vehicle usage has seen pollution levels decrease. This is benefitting traditional plants and allowing increased diversity as these plants previously faced competition from nitrogen-loving plants such as nettles. 

    Over the past few weeks, wildlife has been seen to be discovering what are now human free spaces with multiple species being found in urban centres. For example, wild boars in central Barcelona and goats in Llandudno, Wales. 

    Read this article regarding the goats in Llandudno:

    https://inews.co.uk/news/environment/goats-llandudno-wales-town-coronavirus-uk-lockdown-wildlife-2523916

    Here is a video regarding wild boar in Barcelona:

    https://www.elnacional.cat/es/sociedad/coronavirus-video-jabalies-centro-barcelona-confinamiento_482691_102.html 

    Other wildlife stories:

    • Increased sightings of Moles above ground

    • Oyster Catchers are nesting on deserted beaches

    • Hedgehogs have a lower threat of being killed on the road

    • Less disturbance (e.g. by dog walkers) for breeding birds which are nesting in new areas 

    But not all animals are benefiting with many needing to find new sources of food due to the lack of human presence providing them with easily and readily available food source options. Look out for our next newsletter which will highlight multiple ways in which you can help wildlife from your home this spring! 

    Happy Easter,

    Stay Safe

    Keele Wildlife Society 2020

     
     

     

     

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