Somerset volunteers go wild for animal research project

Helen Lewy, part of the Friends of Longrun Meadow in Taunton, decided to be a kestrel as part of the project.

She said: “I went out and sat at the side of a meadow and got my mind into being a kestrel in this landscape.

“You look around and see if there’s anywhere to nest and most importantly – where can I catch my food?

“We wanted to view the landscape in a new way and see the animals within the whole system.”

She said the experience gave her a “new perspective” on what animals experience.

“It all began to make sense,” she said.

The results of the group’s research will be published in scientific journals.