From Learner to Licensed

In 2019, myself and my partner joined the Nottinghamshire Dormouse Group, hoping to see our first dormouse. We were not disappointed, and quickly became regular volunteers with the group. The other members were welcoming and shared insight on all things ecology. At the end of our first season, we felt very lucky to have seen and helped to process so many dormice. During the winter months we also attended woodland management work parties, learning more about dormouse habitat preferences.

At the start of the 2020 survey season, we were kindly offered the opportunity to become trainees with the group, with the aim of eventually gaining references for our own survey licences. Having snapped up the offer we were now attending as many sessions as we could and making good progress. As trainees, we were given plenty of opportunity to handle dormice and on the rare occasions that there weren’t so many to process- we were the first in line! The more experienced members of the group were always happy to share tips and gave us plenty of encouragement along the way. The pandemic slowed our progress, limiting the capacity of the group to host volunteers, however we were still able to be enrolled on an online theory course covering dormouse ecology. The learning and support never stops!

With the lockdowns over and our dormouse knowledge enforced were eager to get back to the woods! The 2022 season gave us lots of opportunity to improve our technique and gain experience. By the end of the season, we were confidently handling dormice and (usually) correctly identifying nest types as well as dormouse sex, age class and breeding status. To get licences we would first need to pass an assessment, proving ourselves competent dormice handlers. Lorna, the leader of the group, observed us putting what we had learnt into practice. We were not let off easy with two days of packed nest boxes. At the end of each session, it was announced that we had both passed our assessments and that we would obtain the references we needed for our license applications. Being a trainee was an absolute privilege and are grateful for all the help along the way. Now that we have successfully gained our licenses we are looking forward to the next season and the opportunity to share some of what we have learnt with any newcomers to the group!

Joe Hall

Licenced Member of the Nottinghamshire Dormouse Group

Negative Footprint Tunnel Records

Finding hazel dormice isn’t easy. And it’s even more difficult to prove that they’re absent from a particular patch. But dormice are protected in law. So, when new houses are built or roads expanded, the developers must ensure that any hedges, shrubby habitat or woodlands that are likely to be disturbed or destroyed, are thoroughly checked to see if dormice are present. The current tried and tested method used in […]

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Dormouse Hibernation Webinar

In this presentation, Leo Gubert (Highways England Ecologist and PhD Researcher at the University of Exeter) shares his knowledge on the secret lives of hibernation hazel dormice (Muscardinus avellanarius) including an insight into the nesting materials, likely habitats used, and distance of hibernation nests from summer nest locations. Information is also given on potential strategies to detect dormouse hibernation nests, and methods to reduce impacts during woodland management/development activities.  

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Free Webinar on Dormouse Hibernation

We will be hosting a free webinar on Tuesday 8th December at 7pm. The talk will be presented by Leo Gubert and is likely to cover both the professional survey & mitigation side of dormouse hibernation as well as some of the results from his PhD research. Places are limited, so can I please ask that you only book on to the talk if you are intending to attend. We […]

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Wild Tails…..

During a recent trip to one of our Nottinghamshire Dormouse woodlands I happened upon another wild dormouse nest. It was hidden amongst a patch of bramble and rose scrub that was winding its way up a hawthorn tree, on the edge of a young coppice compartment. The nest itself was comprised of predominantly brown leaves around the exterior, with the occasional hint of stripped bark poking through. Typically, the core […]

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The Dormouse Reintroduction Programme

As our usual outdoor activities during the season have been much reduced we have looked for new ways to engage with both our members and others about dormouse conservation. We hosted the first of what we plan to be several webinars last week and were very pleased that Ian White, Dormouse and Training Officer from the Peoples Trust for Endangered Species (PTES), was able to speak to us on the […]

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A Tale of Two Woodlands….

The July monitoring results were significantly different between the two main sessions, Treswell versus Gamston & Eaton. On Saturday July 18th 2020, a small team of licenced handlers including myself (Lorna),  Courtenay & Victoria, with our trusted sidekick Colin (unlicensed), headed to Treswell Wood. Courtenay and myself ventured off alone, whilst Vicky and Colin worked as a team (whilst observing social distancing rules). Vicky has not learnt all of the […]

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2019 round up

2019 has been another year of surprises, with oodles of positive outcomes. As such, I thought it worth celebrating all of the groups’ hard work this year by rounding up all of your achievements and discoveries. I think perhaps by far our biggest discovery was the dispersal of dormice into Silcock Wood which is adjacent to Gamston Wood. Very early in to the 2019 season we discovered a pregnant female […]

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