Myself, Nick, Joshua, Helen and Gwen (most of us are Worcestershire Wildlife Trust members) undertook a hazelnut search of Hunthouse Woods in November 2010 and found five nuts that had clearly been eaten by dormice. This was the first record of dormice using the woods since 1983.
We decided to set up a dormouse tube study to monitor the size and health of the local population and send this information to the National Dormouse Monitoring Programme (organized by The People’s Trust for Endangered Species). This information will also be used to feed into woodland management plans for Hunthouse with the aid of Nick Benbow, the reserve warden.
So on Sunday morning myself, Helen, Nick, Joshua and Gwen, along with Nick Benbow, his wife and Chloe Elding (a local resident) made up 50 dormouse tubes and installed them in suitable habitat within Hunthouse Wood. It was a crisp sunny day, which illuminated the woodland beautifully, making the work all the more enjoyable. We plan to go back to the woodland several times this year to see how many dormice are using the tubes. We'll keep you updated!
Elizabeth, dormouse volunteer
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