River otter in Lake Woodruff NWR- photo by Andrea Westmoreland. License
I spent some time this week looking into ways to get involved in otter conservation, and I’ve found a number of activities which run the gamut from pressing a few buttons on your computer to spending some time hanging out in a stream. I’ve divided them up into several categories- hopefully you find something that is appealing!
You can help otters from the comfort of your desk by donating to the following organizations:
- Defenders of Wildlife and the St. Louis Zoo both have ‘Adopt an Otter’ programs
- the International Otter Survival Fund and Himalayan Otter Network are both working internationally on otter conservation projects
- Donations to the Delaware River Restoration Fund, Penobscot River Restoration Trust, and River Restoration Northwest will help create cleaner waterways for otters and lots of other creatures
- Paul Smith’s College have otter habitat at their Visitor Interpretation Center– you can donate and even plan a visit
Practices in your own backyards can have an impact on river otters-
- check out ‘You Can Help Wildlife!’ from the Woodland Zoo
- the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore has info on otters and suggestions for better ways to wash our cars
If you see a river otter, there are some people who would appreciate hearing about it:
- in the San Francisco Bay area, the Otter Spotter Citizen Science Project is compiling data from as many people as possible
- the Nebraska Game and Parks Office wants otter sightings as part of its Threatened and Endangered Species work
- Cardiff University’s Otter Project would like reports of dead otters in the UK
You can volunteer to help with river restoration projects that benefit otters such as:
- Fawn River Restoration in Indiana
- Friends of the Rouge in Michigan
- Friends of the Herring River in Massachusetts
Or you can volunteer directly with otter researchers or rehabbers:
- The Wildlife Trusts in the UK
- Seal Rescue Ireland
- PAWS Wildlife Center in Washington
- Florida Aquarium
- Brazil Ecojourneys
And remember that a large number of the options listed here involve local and regional groups, so you may find other opportunities close to you if you do a little searching. So see what you can find, and see if you can find a few river otters near you- they are great fun to watch!