Dormouse Ecology, Survey and Habitat Management (Wiltshire)

A one-day course covering:

• identification and ecology of dormice
• legislation protecting them
• survey standards and techniques
• mitigation and licensing
• habitat management

This training day is intended for early career consultant ecologists, conservationists, land managers, volunteers and trainees.

The course will be split into two sections, the first will be delivered via an online tutorial (13th August) which will cover the subjects above, including tips on how to set out survey equipment, how to ID signs of dormice, age classes and sexing.

The field session (morning of 14th August) will focus on the practical elements of dormouse conservation - it will provide plenty of opportunities for deploying and checking survey kit. Habitat management will also be covered, and there will hopefully be an opportunity to see and handle dormice!

About the tutor

Georgie Starkie will deliver the field session. Georgie has worked in ecological consultancy since 2006 and has been carrying out surveys for hazel dormouse ever since, both to inform development proposals (including mitigation design and implementation) and for conservation and monitoring. Georgie has recently taken over an NDMP site in Wiltshire and assists with monitoring at another NDMP site in Somerset. Since 2023 Georgie has been working on a project in the Forest of Selwood to encourage landowners to survey and record signs of dormice on their land and with a wider aim to assess the value of riparian woodland and hedgerows to the species. In the past Georgie has delivered training courses on hazel dormouse for the Mammal Society and Wiltshire Mammal Group as well as to local Natural History groups.

Holly Stanworth will deliver the online tutorial. Holly has over 15 years experience in ecological consultancy and conservation. She has first-hand experience of completing dormouse surveys, designing and implementing appropriate mitigation, and managing habitats for this species. She is now a Conservation Officer at The Species Recovery Trust, and works as a freelance ecologist, implementing conservation management across a range of habitats. She is an active member of Surrey Dormouse Group, and runs an NDMP site where dormice are regularly monitored, and active management is ongoing. She is a Dormouse license holder and assists in training others towards their license.

What to bring

• Waterproof outdoor clothing, sturdy footwear
• Hand lens
• Paper pad for notes
• Water, snacks and lunch

Plenty of parking is available as well as a loo.

Please inform us of any relevant medical requirements/conditions we should be aware of prior to the course.

Schedule

13th August - the online tutorial (3hr 45 mins) will be available from 9am on the 13th August and will be available for 24 hours. The tutorial must be watched prior to the practical session. A link will be sent out on the 12th August with the required links to access the tutorial.

14th August 10am - 2pm Field visit to Underhill Wood Nature Reserve to practice installing survey kit, check NDMP boxes, and discuss habitat management. There may be an opportunity to handle dormice during this session.

In the event of rain, or storms, we will reschedule the field session to 20th August.

Reference (for Dormouse License)

When seeking a level 1 Dormouse licence adequate experience of all life stages & breeding conditions should be achieved, as well as many other things. As such, a referee should observe a person's skills over an extended period of time (2-3 years in most cases) to ensure all the requirements are met. Given this course is completed over a single day, with no guarantee of seeing a dormouse, we will not be providing a reference upon completion.

However, we will provide a CPD certificate which will list all the activities successfully completed, and the trainer will sign relevant sections of the PTES Dormouse Training Log provided the attendee has demonstrated competent skills. This course will continue to provide a major steeping stone in achieving your license, in terms of experience and the information received, as well as giving you more confidence in survey techniques.

Natural England's guidance on this is always evolving, but we have had written confirmation that we can issue certificates. Please note that you need two references, or 1 reference & completion of an appropriate course, when applying for a level 1 license (see Natural England’s guidance here for more details).

As the guidance is in a state of flux we will do our best to let you know if this alters prior to the course, but cannot be responsible for sudden changes in NE's guidance around licensing.

Recommended Reading

Natural England (2006). Dormouse Conservation Handbook. 2nd edition. Natural England (2011). Interim Advice Note - Dormouse surveys for mitigation licensing – best practice and common misconceptions. All publications from PTES.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hazel-or-common-dormice-surveys-and-mitigation-for-development-projects

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hazel-dormice-protection-surveys-and-licences

https://ptes.org/campaigns/dormice/protection-for-hazel-dormice/dormousetraining/

https://cieem.net/resource/the-dormouse-conservation-handbook-english-nature/

Directions

The entrance to Underhill Wood Nature Reserve is here: what3words///hillsides.spires.curable

Google maps - click here

The gate is kept locked and will only be opened 30 minutes before the course starts. There is parking on the gravel and grass around the main reserve building and there is a toilet available here too.

Course certificate

This course can be used as part of your Continuing Professional Development (CPD). We invite attendees to download their own certificate and complete the numbers of hours spent on the course, as we are aware some attendees spend more time reading up about courses before the day, and writing their notes up and sitting the online course tests afterwards. The hours on your certificate should accurately reflect this time.

Feedback

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