Surrey Wildlife Trust gets £25k to protect dormice (From Elmbridge Guardian)

Surrey Wildlife Trust gets £25k to protect dormice

4:20pm Sunday 10th January 2010 in News By Jonathan Portlock

Surrey Wildlife Trust (SWT) has been awarded £24,279 for woodland enhancement work that will help protect the county’s dormouse population.

The money has come from the Sita Trust, which funds conservation projects.

Dormice populations in the UK have dropped by 70 per cent in the past 25 years, largely due to habitat loss and are now listed as a priority species on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.

SWT will use the funding to improve 34 of Surrey’s woodlands by creating individual habitat management plans for the mice in each one.

This will include encouraging breeding through the installation of hundreds of dormice nest boxes and creating pathways through the trees.

Dave Williams, SWT’s mammal project officer, said: “Dormice may be more widespread than we think, but their numbers are low.

“Having already located some populations that are hanging on, we can improve their habitat to help boost their numbers, while at the same time ensuring many other species, including bats and butterflies, will benefit.”

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