Hazel dormouse habitat management and hedgerow management – 23 August 2022

Hazel dormice are one of Britain’s most enigmatic species, but they are hard both to find and study. This is because they are small, they live in the tree and shrub canopy when active and they come out at night. They are also closely associated with old, managed woodlands, where they live, and with hedgerows, that they use as dispersal corridors.

Briddlesford woods on the Isle of Wight is a private reserve owned by the People’s Trust for Endangered Species and managed for its mammal assemblage that includes hazel dormice, red squirrels and woodland bats.

PTES has been the lead conservation charity helping hazel dormice and we manage the national monitoring programme, the dormouse reintroduction programme, and advise both conservation groups and ecological consultants on habitat management.

PTES also manage the Great British Hedgerow Survey which is the standard method of surveying hedgerows in Britain. On completion of the short survey which assesses the current condition of the hedge, advice is provided for future management.

Briddlesford estate is the the obvious place to run a one-day courses on the Isle of Wight on habitat management for dormice and hedgerow management.

Date: Tuesday 23^rd August 2022

Cost: £30 per person

Venue: Black Hut, Briddlesford Woods, Isle of Wight

Programme:

This course will be split into two groups. For 2 ½ hours one group will look at hedgerow surveying and management and the other will look at woodland management for dormice. The groups will then swap and the sessions will be repeated. The sessions will be led by Sarah Barnsley (PTES Hedgerow Officer) and Ian White (Dormouse & Training Officer).

The programme is given below:

9.30 am                            Introduction.

9.45 am – 12.15 pm       Hedgerow/woodland management.

12.15 pm – 1.15 pm        Lunch

1.15 pm – 3.45 pm         Hedgerow/woodland management

3.45 pm – 4pm               Round up and depart.

You will be required to bring a packed lunch (tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided).

Getting there

There will be minibuses leaving the Red Jet Terminal in West Cowes at 9am to take delegates to Briddlesford woods. Suitable Red Jet ferries leave Southampton at 0750 and 0825. At 4pm, at the end of the course, minibuses will return delegates to the Red Jet terminal to catch the 1645 or 1720 service back to Southampton

If you wish to take advantage of the minibus transport, please let us know so that we are able to confirm numbers with the taxi firm prior to the event.

The cost of the minibus to and from the course is included in the cost of the course. The Red Jet fare is not.

Alternatively you can arrange for your own transportation to the site but if you do this we regret that PTES is unable to assist with costs. If you require directions to the Black Hut please let us know.

No responsibility for persons not being collected as arranged, missing ferries etc. will be accepted by PTES.

If you have any questions, please email Ian.white@PTES.org