Devon dormice go nuts over funding boost
Added: 26th January 2010
Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT) has just received funding to help with conservation work to improve the lot of dormice at a number of its nature reserves.
The £4986 grant from the Pennon Environment Fund will help the charity’s reserve officers to implement and enhance coppicing regimes at its Andrew’s Wood, Lady’s Wood, Scanniclift Copse, Sourton Quarry and Dunsford nature reserves in the coming months.
Dormice thrive in woodland with hazel coppice, as one of their staple foods is the hazelnut. An autumn diet of these helps keep them sufficiently plump to survive their annual winter hibernation. Although dormice are also found in hedgerows and other habitats, these Devon Wildlife Trust nature reserves are known to be some of their most important and protected strongholds.
DWT’s Reserve Officer Jackie Gage said: ‘The money will help pay for our time on the reserve coppicing the hazel trees so that they are kept in the best possible condition for the populations of dormice. By allowing more light into the woodlands, these activities will allow denser and more species-rich understoreys to develop. This in turn will increase the amount of food and cover available to dormice throughout the seasons when they are active.”
Over the coming months the dormice on the sites will be monitored using nest boxes and nest tubes which will be put up at the sites with the help of volunteers. This part of the project has also been paid for using some of the grant money.
Jackie added: “It’s important that we continue to monitor populations in Devon, particularly as we are the Biodiversity Action Plan lead partner for the species. We cannot continue this important work without the volunteer and financial support which this funding gives us.”
Pennon Group is the parent group of Viridor Waste Management and South West Water and through its Environment Fund supports environmental and social improvement projects across the region and nation.
For more information about DWT’s reserves and how you can help visit www.devonwildlifetrust.org