Hunt Nuts, Help Endangered Dormice
Once widespread in the U.K., the hazel dormouse population has declined by 39% since 1992, due to loss of hedgerows and fragmentation of woodland habitat. Now this tiny mammal is vulnerable to regional extinction.
To help locate hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius ) habitats and gather data about these elusive creatures, the People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) has invited the public to participate in its third annual “Great Nut Hunt.”
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Named because nibbled nutshells are an indication of dormouse presence, the survey is an opportunity for people all ages to become involved in dormouse conservation. PTES Chief Executive Jill Nelson encourages families to get involved with the Great Nut Hunt.
The survey uses simple techniques requiring no specialised skills, making the Great Nut Hunt a fun activity for young and old ‘nutters’ alike as well as an ideal family expedition. With the help of the public, this year we hope to exceed the 250,000 nuts found in 1993!
The Great Nut Hunt has proven to be a valuable method for identifying hazel dormouse habitats: Of the 800 known dormouse sites in England and Wales, 500 of them were discovered in PTES’ previous nut hunts, which drew thousands of volunteers in 1993 and 2001.
‘A neat round hole’
So, how does one determine the presence of dormice by looking at a nut?
According to Dr. Pat Morris in recent BBC News article, dormice have a distinctive way of nibbling.
Dormice open these nuts by making a neat round hole on one side, leaving characteristic tooth marks around the edge of the hole and providing a reliable method for identification.
We can make use of these nibbled nuts to gather data about the presence or absence of dormice and improve knowledge about the distribution of the species as well as the general health of our woodlands and hedgerows.
Dr. Morris is in charge of identifying the tens of thousands of nuts that the public is expected to send during the project.
Join the hunt for nuts
In order to encourage public participation, PTES has hidden 21 specially-commissioned nuts, 20 in silver and a single gold one, across counties in England and Wales.
The Great Nut Hunt 2009 runs from October 2009 until March 2010. To learn more and participate, you can register online:
What a brilliant idea for getting the whole family involved in wildlife conservation!
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
