Harvest Mouse Nest Search - Gowy Meadows

We're looking for volunteers to help out with a Harvest Mouse nest search at Gowy Meadows.

Why do we want to search for Harvest mouse nests?

The Harvest mouse is our smallest species of rodent, with adults weighing just 6g! Once commonly seen whilst 'harvesting', Harvest mice are now classed as Near Threatened in Great Britain. Whilst experts believe their population has declined, they are an under-recorded species; making it hard to estimate populations and direct conservation efforts.

Female mice build nests in Spring and Summer to raise their young before moving out and leaving the empty nest amongst vegetation. The Mammal Society launched the National Harvest Mouse Nest search to collect data about harvest mouse populations through looking for and recording these empty nests.

What to expect

• We'll be working together to search through thick vegetation in suitable habitat to locate any empty harvest mouse nests that might be present.
• No prior knowledge or experience is required, just a willingness to get stuck in and learn as you go.
• Just so you know, we'll be accessing areas outside of public footpaths and expect the terrain to include thick vegetation, wet and un-even areas.
• Please note that we do not expect to see any live harvest mice and we also cannot guarantee that we'll find any nests. However collecting data on lack of nests in an area is still very much valid towards population studies.
• We'll also record any other species of wildlife we happen to spot whilst there, although the focus will be on the nest search.

Details

• A small amount of parking is available next to the reserve entrance where we'll be meeting
• This is a large reserve and we expect there to be considerable walking involved in our survey
• There is no shelter and we plan to go ahead even if the weather is rainy / cold
• However please be prepared for the fact that we may need to cancel at the last minute in extremely poor weather

Accessibility: As mentioned,  we will be accessing areas outside of public footpaths and expect the terrain to include thick vegetation, wet and un-even areas. Please feel free to contact us ahead of the session on info@record-lrc.co.uk or 01244 394514 to discuss any additional needs you may have.

This volunteer session is suitable for adults only and has limited capacity, therefore please ensure you register to attend through this page. Important information will be emailed to you when you book - please check your spam email folder if you don't hear from us.

The session is run in as part of the Networks for Nature project.

Please get in touch with info@record-lrc.co.uk if you have any questions regarding this session.