Bushfire at Roach’s mouse-tailed dormouse study site During the early autumn, we contacted our conservation leader, Nedko Nedyalkov who’s based in Bulgaria, to find out how his research on the Roach’s mouse-tailed dormouse has been progressing. Mouse-tailed dormice – or Myomimus (pronounced me-oh-me-mus) – are one of our most endangered dormouse species. Previously found in …

Benfield Wildlife and Conservation Group (BWCG) I was delighted when Yvette Austin, the environment correspondent for BBC Southeast, asked me if she could film the monthly Benfield Wildlife and Conservation Group dormouse box check. So how did this come about? I’m the chair of Benfield Wildlife and Conservation Group (BWCG) and my passion is sharing …

One of the most useful things to be able to do is predict the future. This is made easier, of course, when the future repeats itself, when spring follows winter, follows autumn, follows summer, follows spring, and lots of animals are adept at predicting future circumstances. You might remember Paul the Octopus who successfully predicted …

Butterflies and moths Jim Baldwin, our wonderful volunteer surveyor, has continued his 16-week long UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme survey in Briddlesford. He surveyed, for a couple of hours at a time, on two consecutive weeks in July. In the first week he recorded an amazing 699 butterflies of 17 species and then 590 butterflies of …

38 dormice are released into a woodland at NT Calke Abbey, Derbyshire, in a bid to boost the population of this native species that has experienced a 51% decline since 2000 This week, 38 rare hazel dormice are being reintroduced into the heart of the National Forest by wildlife charity People’s Trust for Endangered Species …

Bid to boost declining dormouse population at National Trust Calke Abbey This week, 38 rare hazel dormice are being reintroduced into a woodland at the National Trust Calke Abbey estate in Derbyshire, in the heart of the National Forest, in an attempt to save this endangered species from further extinction in the UK. The golden-coated, …

Moles get an unfair press. As part of our native fauna, there’s a lot to be said for moles, and molehills are more useful than you might imagine… Moles (Talpa europaea) are a common insectivore, akin to hedgehogs and shrews, living an almost entirely subterranean existence. Perennial stories of the mole population ‘exploding’ usually originate …

The inescapable hedgerow blossom and emerging fresh, vivid green leaves make for rewarding hedgerow walks. Watching a hedge slowly wake up is a great way to notice how many species it holds. Honeysuckle is often first to emerge, joining the ever-steady holly in leaf. Next come the thorns. One easy way of telling hawthorn and …

…the barks, screams, snorts, and chatter of our wild neighbours, says David Wembridge In the roundup of local crime figures in St Elwick’s Neighbourhood Association Newsletter Podcast, Mike Wozniak reports a case of mistaken identity: ‘On the night of the twelfth, at about two AM, police received several reports of a fight between an old …

50 nationwide events are set to mark Orchard Blossom Day 2023 This April traditional orchards across the country are marking Orchard Blossom Day 2023 by welcoming nature lovers, families and groups of friends to their sites in celebration of fruit trees, flowers and food. Orchard Blossom Day falls on the last Friday in April, and …

Survey hedgerows The lengthening days bring with them temperamental weather, swinging from showers to glorious sunshine that sparkles on waterways and bounces off fresh green growth. They also announce the start of People’s Trust for Endangered Species’ survey season. This time of year offers the chance for people across the UK to get involved in …

Mid-Cornwall Moors span some 1650 hectares of wet and dry heaths, mires and broad-leaved woodland, between Bodmin and Indian Queens. Although the area’s on the western edge of the dormouse range in England, it’s home to several National Dormouse Monitoring Programme (NDMP) sites and several incidental records have also been reported from the area. Monitoring …