New dormouse handbooks
They have been a long time in preparation, but we are delighted to announce that the third editions of the Hazel Dormouse Conservation and Mitigation Handbooks have finally hit the shelves.
The first handbook was published in 1996. Ten years later, the second edition was published at over double the size, reflecting new research findings about dormouse ecology and habitat management.
Now, after a further nineteen years, the 2025 editions have arrived. The information has been divided into two volumes: the Hazel Dormouse Conservation Handbook (DCH 2025), written by Simone Bullion, Robert Wolton and Ian White, and the Hazel Dormouse Mitigation Handbook (DMH 2025), written by David Wells, Paul Chanin and Leo Gubert. Together they amount to over 150 pages of up-to-date information on dormouse ecology, conservation and mitigation.
What’s new?
Since the 2006 edition, a great deal of new research has increased our understanding of hazel dormouse ecology, the habitats they occupy and the threats they face. Much of this builds on The Hazel Dormouse (2013) by Rimvydas Juškaitis and Sven Büchner, and the findings have now been incorporated into the new handbooks.
The Conservation Handbook includes more detail on how to assess habitats, including tables linking habitat attributes to favourable indicators of quality, such as those developed for scrub and woodland. The survey guidance has also been expanded, with advice on traditional methods and modern techniques. How to carry out nut hunts, natural nest searches and use nest boxes and tubes is outlined in detail; the new edition also includes updated guidance on nest tubes and introduces newer approaches, such as footprint tunnels and trail cameras.
There is also comprehensive advice on habitat creation, management and enhancement. Woodland management, including ride management and coppicing, is covered in detail, as is hedgerow and scrub management. We even outline how to look after gardens where dormice are present, helping readers support populations in a variety of landscapes.
The mitigation handbook
The Hazel Dormouse Mitigation Handbook 2025 focuses on the legislation protecting dormice and on how disturbance at development sites can be managed through mitigation and compensation. One of the most significant changes from earlier editions is in the survey methodology. In 2006, the only recognised way to determine the likely absence of dormice was through a full season of nest tube surveys. The new guidance, however, allows presence to be established by any reliable method, and absence to be demonstrated through standardised surveys using tubes or footprint tunnels. This approach offers greater flexibility while maintaining scientific rigour.
The Mitigation Handbook also explores how dormice can be affected by development, and outlines measures to avoid, minimise and compensate for those impacts. It includes guidance on ensuring that mitigation is effective both at a population level, to maintain the species’ favourable conservation status, and at an individual level, to prevent harm to animals. Monitoring is another key focus, with advice on demonstrating compliance with licence conditions and on assessing the success of mitigation measures once works are complete.
Who are the handbooks for?
The decision to divide the handbooks into two volumes was made to meet the needs of different audiences. The Mitigation Handbook is primarily intended for professional ecological consultants and public sector ecologists who manage dormouse populations at development sites. The Conservation Handbook is designed for a wider readership, including consultants, conservation advisors, land managers, landowners and dormouse monitors.
While the Conservation Handbook is a complete and independent volume, the Mitigation Handbook must always be used alongside it. Together they provide the most comprehensive and up-to-date guidance available on hazel dormouse conservation and management.
In summary
After a long wait, these new handbooks represent a significant step forward in dormouse conservation and management. Survey methodologies are now more detailed and flexible, habitat assessment guidance has been expanded, and the information is presented more clearly than before. The most significant change is that dormouse presence at a site, can be demonstrated using a number of different survey methods, although a standardised survey is still required to demonstrate likely absence. The two volumes together mark an important milestone in the conservation of one of Britain’s most endearing mammals.
Header image credit Nick Lee