Hazel Dormouse - how to plant and create habitat for Hazel Dormice

Hazel dormouse – How to protect and plant new food sources for the Hazel dormouse.

Hazel dormice are one of the most elusive of mammals. Dormice are also very sensitive to cold weather and so the recent cold winters will have probably taken their toll. Last year the very mild weather up to Xmas, followed by severe cold will have meant that any young would have perished through lack of food sources. So how can we try to plant and protect habitats belonging to hazel dormice?

Habitats favoured;

In the old days, they were most often spotted by coppice workers in hazel coppice; hence “Hazel Dormice”. Actually though, they also like not only hazel nuts, but the mast/seeds/berries of oak, holly, birch and oak/ash, hornbeam and other fruit in mixed woodlands. They even live in coniferous woods. Less intensively cut hedgerows are a major habitat, especially those with woody species and climbers such as Honeysuckle. They may inhabit hedges all year round and are a woodland edge species. They prefer woods where there is a high diversity of woodland species in trees and shrub layers and so a continuity of food sources from spring to autumn.

The most favoured spots are sunny warm shrub layer areas within a wood, clearings and glades within woods with plenty of food source plants nearby. Hazel dormice are secretive, arboreal species, so mature climbers and interlinking canopy and branches are important to provide cover and to safeguard them from predators.

What should we do encourage Hazel dormice?

The best woodlands are ancient semi natural woodland that are lightly managed, with a long coppice cycle.

Fragmentation of woodlands into lots of small woods has led to a decline in hazel Dormice populations. So, linking of all remaining green habitats is important. By linking these small woods, with hedgerows and by planting to thicken up and manage hedgerows, the hazel domouse will benefit.

Not only will you encourage Hazel Dormice to move in, but you will also increase birds and bird song, which is a great "add on" reward too.

It is still a good time to plant bare root trees and shrubs in the UK (late Nov- March.)

Here is a good mixture for hazel dormice and other small mammals;

Hazel

Hawthorn

Honeysuckle

Hornbeam

Ash.

Elder.

Wayfaring tree.

Blackthorn.

Dogwood.

Yew.

Field Maple.

Above all, by providing the widest variety of the above species you will help to ensure continuity of food sources throughout the seasons.

Plant as bare root trees, (40-60 cm high); to thicken up gaps in your hedges. If you already have wooden fences, you can cover these using a native hedgerow comprising the above species.

Bramble is an important part of the diet of Hazel dormice; so try to leave patches of bramble as part of the shrub layer in your woods. Bramble provides high grade foods, nectar, sugar-rich berries and insects; all are ideal for hazel dormice, which are specialist feeders. Pollen from Hawthorn flowers early in Spring is an important food source.

By providing habitats and managing them, we can try to safeguard the existing populations of this rare species for future generations to enjoy.

For further information on how we can help you to manage your habitats for Hazel dormice contact

Ian or Charmaine Noel on (01892 782200 or visit www.landvision.co.uk or email; charmaine@landvision.co.uk

What do you understand by Landscape Character Assessment? How can you help to safeguard Landscape Character? Why Landscape Character is important.

What do you understand by Landscape Character Assessment? How can you help to safeguard Landscape Character? Why Landscape Character is important.Landscape character is defined as the natural and historical characteristics of a landscape, that give it a sense of place and distinctive locality. For instance, the South Downs have a rolling topography. Sheep graze and bleat in fields, scattered trees, sloe thickets and hawthorn hedges rustle in the wind; its a very distinctive landscape character. The National Parks Authority thought so too; recently the South Downs have been granted National Park status.

Another different landscape character area? The Ashdown Forest; open, bracken strewn, heather lowland heathland, nonetheless windswept and wild looking with a certain distinctive “look” within the High Weald landscape character area. One more?
The Norfolk Broads are wetlands, a very different landscape character type to the Downs, but just as important in terms of landscape character, just as distinctive...

So, what elements make these very different,landscape character types distinctive?
When someone mentions the South Downs to me, conjured up in my mind is an image of its intrinsic landscape character. South Downs equals = sheep grazing the slopes of the Downs on a sunny day with blue skies stretching away.
Norfolk Broads? = man rowing a boat, bulrushes, wetland birds settling on dark blue water.. sunsets...

You get the picture.

Why not do a few of these yourself?

You will probably come up with your "favourite" landscapes and its what makes them distinctive that gives them...yes, you've guessed it... their “landscape character”!

So, why should we preserve and protect these landscape character areas? How can you make a start?

Look at the area in which you live. If you are lucky enough to live in an SLA (Special Landscape Area) or an AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) then there will be plenty of natural landscape features such as woods, hedges and farmland, old listed buildings.

What makes your area distinctive? What are the historic settlement patterns? There may be listed buildings, old barns, oast houses even, surrounded by fields with empty hop poles..(very distinctive.)

Are there any natural features that derive from the soils and the topography?
What are these? Are you sure? What about escarpments and scarp slopes, dip slopes, valleys and ponds. (Yes, I knew your O level geography would come in useful.)What about the landscape, is it managed? Are there animals or is it largely urban? Are there any areas which could be improved?
How could we do this? Can you think of things that you could do to help?

You may ask why anyone would want to start doing these things, why start asking these questions?
Its quite simple. When your local authority asks for feedback on its local plan, you will be able to put forward your ideas! Equally, you could start a new group to safeguard features that you like. Or join a society to find out more about your local landscape, its history, how it evolved, the communities it has served.

Landscape character assessment is a very useful tool in planning too. It helps planners to earmark areas for protection and this means that any new developments must be carefully located so as to preserve and enhance the landscape for future generations to enjoy. In many cases the long term protection of our landscape requires active improvements to a particular locality. Not just a preservation of a place in moth balls. It requires active involvement.

If you have questions about how to improve your local landscape please email;charmaine@landvision.co.uk
if you have a landscape design inquiry or question on landscape character assessment, call Landvision 01892 782200 or visit; www.landvision.co.uk and take a look at our website today.

Canvey wick Brownfield site - wildlife haven.

The Land Restoration Trust has discovered that brownfield sites, such as old industrial wasteland, are home to some endangered species of plant and animal. Skylarks, lapwings and water voles are amongst the many species that can occur on brownfield sites!

Canvey Wick, (which is due to be bought by the Trust) is home to a staggering 30 Red Data Book species, plus...an amazing three species which were previously thought to be extinct.

One reason taht these rare species like brownfield sites is the informality of the design. Another is that sites have grown over time and tend to be more varied in layout than formal green spaces - with shallow pools (ideal for a multitude of species), diverse flora and low fertility- all prerequisites for diversity in the natural world. Management has been informal and the result - a diverse ecosystem worth safeguarding and emulating.

The Trust tries to balance the needs of people (recreation, relaxation spaces..) with those of the natural world- so that people can see and understand nature and its uniqueness.