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Daily Read: Wildlife

Volunteers Pretend to Be Wildlife to Map River Risks

A University of the West of England study, the Risks Beyond Human Eyes project, asked eighteen volunteers to learn the physiology and senses of animals such as salmon, deer, kestrels, earthworms and otters. The volunteers then spent time in the Somerset River Tone, swimming as a salmon, walking as a deer, and feeling as an earthworm to experience pollution, low oxygen, and vibrations from farm generators. Their observations were recorded and mapped into an online database that highlights specific threats, including polluted water, old weirs, street lighting, and earthworks that alter scent cues. The project, funded by the Ecological Citizen Network, has produced a detailed risk map that will be presented in a public webinar on 18 November. Using the data, the research team, led by Phil Tovey, has begun drafting a 30‑year campaign to restore the river, drawing on military operational planning documents and non‑violent action tactics. The campaign aims to reduce pollution, remove obstructions, and improve habitat quality through community‑led, non‑violent measures. The study demonstrates how human‑led empathy exercises can translate into concrete conservation actions for local wildlife.

· Positive News

The essential points

  1. 01Eighteen volunteers trained in animal physiology to experience the River Tone as salmon, deer, and earthworms
  2. 02Participants recorded pollution, low oxygen, and farm‑generator vibrations, producing a detailed risk map
  3. 03The map is published online and will be discussed in a public webinar on 18 November
  4. 04A 30‑year restoration campaign is being drafted, using military‑style planning and non‑violent tactics
The full brief

A University of the West of England study, the Risks Beyond Human Eyes project, asked eighteen volunteers to learn the physiology and senses of animals such as salmon, deer, kestrels, earthworms and otters. The volunteers then spent time in the Somerset River Tone, swimming as a salmon, walking as a deer, and feeling as an earthworm to experience pollution, low oxygen, and vibrations from farm generators. Their observations were recorded and mapped into an online database that highlights specific threats, including polluted water, old weirs, street lighting, and earthworks that alter scent cues.

The project, funded by the Ecological Citizen Network, has produced a detailed risk map that will be presented in a public webinar on 18 November. Using the data, the research team, led by Phil Tovey, has begun drafting a 30‑year campaign to restore the river, drawing on military operational planning documents and non‑violent action tactics. The campaign aims to reduce pollution, remove obstructions, and improve habitat quality through community‑led, non‑violent measures.

The study demonstrates how human‑led empathy exercises can translate into concrete conservation actions for local wildlife.