A teenager from Warminster has been awarded Young Mammal Champion 2026 for his work as an educator and ambassador for wildlife.
Dexter Painter-Coates, a 14-year-old Warminster Journal deliverer, received the award from the Mammal Society, Britain’s leading charity devoted to the science-led conservation of mammals. He received the award at the charity’s gala dinner in Inverness.
Dexter has worked with the Wiltshire Mammal Group as their Mouse and Shrew Champion, taken part in bat surveys and harvest mouse studies, and led owl pellet workshops. He is also a Youth Ambassador for the Warminster Toad Patrol and an active member of Sustainable Warminster.
“I’m still in complete shock that not only did somebody think I deserved to be nominated for this amazing award, but that then the judges agreed that I deserved to win it,” said Dexter.
“Loving nature really is at the core of my life, nothing makes me happier than getting outside, exploring and learning about the world around us. I love to stop and take notice of the little things, to see how everything is connected and to feel like in some small way I can do my bit to help the amazing creatures that share the planet with us.
“I really hope that in my life I can make a meaningful contribution to conservation, and I am incredibly grateful to everyone that has encouraged me, taught me, given me opportunities and most importantly taken me seriously when I’ve said, ‘how can I help?’”
One of Dexter’s passions is sharing his knowledge with other young people. “I love to make videos for social media, show people what I get up to and share facts about the animals all around us,” he said.
“As well as holding talks and educational sessions, I believe that young people like me are the future of conservation and I really hope I can inspire other kids to do their bit and to fall in love with the natural world.”
Matt Larsen-Daw, CEO of the Mammal Society, said, “His enormous and infectious enthusiasm for nature, work as an educator and ambassador for wildlife, his engaging artworks and his direct support for our Searching for Shrews project all make him an ideal choice.”
When presenting the award, a Mammal Society youth ambassador described Dexter as “a very, very worthy winner” and said, “I am certain this is only the beginning of what is already an inspiring career in conservation.”
