A NUMBER of dormice were recorded at the South West Lakes Trust’s recent dormouse box checks.

This month a group of volunteers, alongside a licensed ecologist, undertook the trust’s bi-annual dormouse box checks at Roadford Lake. South West Lakes Trust’s checks have been taking place for the past 16 years and are carried out in line with the Natural England national monitoring scheme, which helps assess the state of the UK population.

A total of 10 dormice were recorded, seven of which were juveniles. In addition to dormice, some pygmy shrews, Daubenton’s bats and some bees were also recorded.

Kit Hancock, senior countryside warden for South West Lakes Trust, said: ‘It is absolutely fantastic that Roadford Lake has become a stronghold for this rare and endangered species; it shows that all of the habitat restoration work that South West Lakes Trust is carrying out is most definitely working.’

Over the years, South West Lakes Trust has been carrying out habitat management and restoration works to improve connectivity and to connect wildlife corridors so that the dormice can colonise in different parts of the world.

To carry out dormouse surveying you need to have a license. It is not permitted for members of the public to open boxes. If you are interested in wildlife recording then please get in touch by calling 01566 771930 or email [email protected]