Greater Bristol Otter Group

This is done by visiting a watercourse and completing a survey form with any evidence of footprints or spraint you find. We run training sessions throughout the year which you can book onto - contact us and ask when the next is scheduled. We also provide a survey pack at these sessions which includes a copy of the survey form.

If you've little or no experience of wildlife surveying, we will provide on-site training to show you what to look for, and where to look. This takes practice!

It would be helpful if you had access to the following:

• a torch for looking under bridges (a favoured place for the otter to leave spraint)

• a pair of binoculars for looking at riverbanks on opposite side of the watercourse or other inaccessible places for spraint and/or footprints

• waterproofs for the good old British weather!

• sturdy wellies/waterproof shoes

• tracks and signs guide, a handy reference showing you what otter prints look like, and also other animal prints so that you can distinguish between them

Please email your completed survey form to: bristol.ottersurveygroup@gmail.com. We will collate the information received from volunteers and send this on to BRERC annually for their records.

We would recommend that surveys are completed with others, for safety purposes. We can put you in touch with other volunteers who may be surveying the same 'patch' you are interested in.

We have a map of all the survey sites for Bristol and the surrounding area, and allocate these to volunteers. We will endeavour to allocate you to an area within easy reach of where you live.

We would always encourage volunteers to survey in pairs at least in case you should have an accident, however unlikely. River banks are dangerous places and we would advise you to take great care when you are surveying.