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International Otter Survival Fund WORLD OTTER DAY
#WorldOtterDay
Wednesday 26 May 2021
CELEBRATE OTTERS - RAISE AWARENESS - EDUCATE - FUNDRAISE - PROTECT
It's time to start thinking about what you might do to support World Otter Day in 2021... it will be here sooner than you think!
Of course, we can't be certain about how the Coronavirus situation will be globally but there are still ways to get involved and make a difference. People's use of social media over the past few months for virtual events (run, walk, swim, dance, sing, bake... the list is endless), meetings and presentations has been inventive and no doubt many of you will have original and fun ideas. So let's get thinking.
It is the most magical day for otters when, so many people full of enthusiasm, care and love of otters, create a wave around the world to ensure they are not forgotten. Raising awareness of the challenges they face and the work that is done to help them.
Some simple ways to help:
- Use #WorldOtterDay
- Post on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram all about otters, both in the lead up to the day and on the day
- Share and tag your friends in IOSF posts to raise awareness of otter conservation and our cause
- Encourage your friends to post as well, the more people that post, the more people we will reach
- Tag IOSF in your posts:
o Facebook - @InternationalOtterSurvivalFund
o Instagram - @IOSF_Otters
o Twitter - @IOSF
- JOIN TOGETHER AROUND THE WORLD IN THE IOSF "OTTERS OF THE WORLD" WEBINAR
To celebrate IOSF World Otter Day, we will be hosting TWO "Otters of the World" webinars in order to accommodate for all time zones and encourage as many people from different countries to join us! We have speakers from across the world to really enhance our "Otters of the World" Webinar and show you some of the amazing work that is happening!
The first will be at 09.00am–11.30am and the second from 17.00pm–19.30pm (UK time) so, if you are joining us from different countries please check your times accordingly.
Each session will have five different speakers covering some of the 13 otter species found across the world!
MORNING SESSION:
PAUL YOXON, INTERNATIONAL OTTER SURVIVAL FUND - “Global status of otter and the work of IOSF”
PADMA DE SILVA - “Otter conservation in Asia”
WOO CHEE YOONG – MALAYSIA NATURE SOCIETY - “Research on the Kuala Selangor Otters (including the rare hairy-nosed otter) and the work of the Malaysian Otter Network”
SAVE VIETNAM’S WILDLIFE - “Rehab of rescued pet otters, the illegal trade and the threat to wild otter populations”
OMAR AL-SHEIKHLY - “The legendary Maxwell’s otter, distribution, threats and conservation work in Iraq”
AFTERNOON SESSION
MEGAN ISADORE, RIVER OTTER ECOLOGY PROJECT - "Supporting conservation, one otter sighting at a time"
PABLO HERNANDEZ - "Conservation challenges for the Neotropical otter in Mexico"
BRIDGETTE SAN MARCO, SAVE THE GIANTS - “Giant otters in Guyana and the work of Save the Giants”
BEN YOXON, INTERNATIONAL OTTER SURVIVAL FUND - “Team Otter and the importance of children’s environmental education”
WILLIAM MGOMO - “Otters, communities and reducing human-otter conflict in an important African wetland habitat”
If you would like to register to join our webinar please fill in the form HERE
There are limited places available so will be given on a ‘first come first, first served’ basis.
On our own we can do so little, TOGETHER WE CAN DO SO MUCH!
Get your event on our World Otter Day global activity map - let us know what you plan to do, when and where, and we can add you to it. Just click on the map below to view what is already happening...
You'll find a great range of colours, styles and sizes, including something for the children.
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IOSF World Otter Day timeline... How it began:
It all started back in 2009 with Otterly Mad Week - a week of events, education and fun
In 2014 it became International Otter Awareness Day
And in 2016, evolved into the IOSF World Otter Day that we all know and love today.
We are very happy to announce the winners of our 2021 World Otter Day Grants:
- Adriana Belen Vallejos, Estación Biológica Corrientes, Argentina In the Corrientes región, home to the Neotropical otter, Adriana and her team will focus on three main sub-projects within the event: raising awareness of otters and wetland through visiting three local schools; wider awareness with a radio programme; research into the species on the Riachuelo River. The programme will increase awareness and knowledge of otters in the area and continue the work that has already been conducted by Adriana and the rest of the Estación Biológica Corrientes team.
- Coffi Donald Dossou, Human Nature Projects Benin, Benin
Raise awareness of otters, wetland and their conservation in the Ouémé Valley in Benin. This is an area that is known to have otter populations and raising the profile of these, as well as their benefits, will help with their long-term survival. Threats to both otters and wetland habitats will also be highlighted in order to help reduce these helping both otters and local communities too.
- Eswar Narayana, Janya Foundation, India
This project is focusing on children, local communities and other interested individuals and organisations near the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary in Andhra Pradesh, India. During the event there will be an artwork competition, online quiz and a field site visit to the Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary is a wetland habitat famous for species such as Smooth-coated otters and Fishing cats. Participants will be taught vital monitoring techniques such as camera trapping and will be provided with education materials and other aspects to continue raising awareness after the project.
- Sujita Dhakal, Global Youth Biodiversity Network, Nepal
This project will be a one-day sensitisation project focusing on fishing communities. The event will include presentations regarding otter identification, conservation in the local area and recording secondary signs such as spraints, tracks and other monitoring ideas. The area was chosen as it is known to have otters but recent studies have not been conducted. Therefore, it will inspire local communities to help conserve and monitor THEIR local otter populations and be at the forefront of otter and wetland conservation for their area.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the applicants for their time working on otter conservation in their respective areas.
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