Rare Species Confirmed at Eastern Road Reserve
A population of hazel dormice has been identified at a nature reserve in West Sussex.
Volunteers working at the Eastern Road reserve in Lindfield made the discovery during routine monitoring.
The species’ return was confirmed after volunteers found the animals’ distinctive triangular footprints inside tracking tunnels placed to monitor nocturnal wildlife activity.
Conservationists warn that hazel dormouse populations have fallen by around 70% across England since 2000.
The small, nocturnal mammals have already vanished from 20 English counties since the 19th Century.
Ancient Woodland Project Supports Discovery
The volunteers were trained by the Lost Woods of the Low Weald and Downs project, a partnership dedicated to restoring fragments of Sussex’s historic woodland landscape.
Its senior community development worker, Michael Blencowe, said: “I couldn’t believe they found them, it was remarkable.
“When we started training local groups, I thought the chance of finding any was very, very low.
“Now, we can work with ecologists to protect the dormice at this site and encourage this population’s recovery.”
Threats From Habitat Loss and Climate Change
Traditional woodland practices such as coppicing have declined, reducing the dense understory woodland that dormice depend on.
This habitat loss also makes it harder for populations to move between sites.
Climate change has further disrupted dormice hibernation patterns, adding pressure to already declining numbers.
Volunteers will now begin searching for hazelnuts marked with the dormice’s characteristic teeth patterns, which provide further evidence of their presence and feeding behaviour.
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At Natural World Fund, we are passionate about restoring habitats in the UK to halt the decline in our wildlife.
