07 Aug Supporting Professional Development and engagement with local groups: Dormouse monitoring project at Little Wittenham Woods
BSG Ecology is working in partnership with the Earth Trust at Little Wittenham Woods, Oxfordshire to establish the presence or likely absence of hazel dormouse. The species is known to be present in Oxfordshire, but very few, if any, records exist for the area between Abingdon, Didcot and Wantage along the Thames Valley (based on NBN Gateway data). The work is mutually beneficial. The Earth Trust is keen to understand more about the species their landholdings support, and the survey will provide an opportunity for staff to gain the experience required to apply for a dormouse licence.
The woodlands at Little Wittenham are mostly accessible to the public for recreational activity, but also support high quality habitats for dormouse, including actively managed hazel coppice, unmanaged woodland, and various woodland rides with fruiting scrub. This site is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) designated for its exceptional population of great crested newt.
BSG Ecology is committed to providing training to new staff, but opportunities to work with dormice are very limited in the area. Therefore, after liaison with Earth Trust rangers, BSG Ecology donated 25 nest boxes with a view to more being built by Earth Trust volunteers. In May 2024 the first boxes were placed in suitable habitats, including older woodland and actively managed (not publicly accessible) hazel coppice areas.
The boxes will be checked monthly during the dormouse active period. In the medium term in addition to training our ecologists, training will be extended to Earth Trust volunteers. BSG Ecology will also provide records of any dormice to the Earth Trust, the People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) and the local records centres.
BSG Principal Ecologist John Baker said: “This is a great opportunity to help an organisation with a very strong environmental ethic gain biological data for their land alongside providing relevant technical training and team building for staff. Finding dormouse in this part of Oxfordshire would also help us understand more about the distribution of the species at the local level.”
