Britain is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world.

Over the years, I've been involved with conservation projects across the globe and worked with a diverse array of animals from lemurs to loggerhead turtles.

But what good is that if we can't protect the wildlife in our own backyard?

My Big Wild Year 2026

When was the last time you saw a vole? A common shrew? A hedgehog?

What's the deal with harvest mice, our smallest and most elusive rodent? Are common species like shrews and toads still common - or are people just not paying attention?

It's never been more important to record the wildlife you see. That's why I'll be entering 2026 on a marathon mission to record 2026 species of plant and animal across the British Isles. Big or small, from beavers to bumblebees and seaweed to sharks - to succeed, I'll need to record between four and five new species every single day!

All the data I collect along the way will be submitted to relevant conservation organisations and fed into national databases, so it can be used to track population declines and inform conservation efforts. I'll also be sharing my journey everywhere I can to show people how easy recording can be! (Finding 2000+ species is not required; by recording just 1 or 2 you're still contributing valuable data!)

To that end, I'll be sharing updates here along the way, but if you want weekly video updates on the project, including field encounters and wildlife spotting tips, you can follow along here!

Why Mammals?

I'm passionate about conservation for all species, and while I have a soft spot for harvest mice, my favourite animal group is not a mammal at all; I'm a reptile girl at heart! In fact, mammals make up a relatively small proportion of the 70,000-odd species of plant and animal that I could potentially record here in Britain...

...so why fundraise for them?

They're cute, charismatic and relatable...and that makes them the perfect ambassadors for conservation! People are more likely to care about hedgehogs than earthworms, grey seals than fish, harvest mice than grass, but when you protect the ambassador, you're also safeguarding the places they call home.

My Big Wild Year is raising money for the Mammal Society. 1 in 4 mammals in Britain are at risk of extinction. We need to know where our mammals are, how many of them are left, and which places they depend on the most for survival. In the face of uncertainty and rampant population decline, your support will help to secure the future of our mammals and their wild networks across Britain.