Hazel dormice at Brockham Quarry

Hazel Dormice have disappeared from many counties in the UK and according to ZSL are now at risk of extinction in the UK due to woodland habitat loss and mismanagement.

The latest place to benefit from boxes funded by the Lower Mole Countryside Trust is Brockham Quarry, formerly Limeworks.  

Checks were carried out under licence in May and June 2023 with exciting results: dormice were found in 5 of the boxes.  The dormouse pictured is a female who is possibly pregnant, another encouraging development. 

The site has never been surveyed before and the data collected is of national importance and essential in managing the woodland to ensure the dormice have the best chance of surviving and hopefully multiplying.

Extra boxes were installed to further aid in the research and provide even more homes for these endearing native mammals.

Ashtead Village Day – 10th June 2023

The Lower Mole Countryside Trust and the Lower Mole Partnership attended Ashtead Village Day on a scorching hot day in early June 2023.  The event is very popular and attracts large crowds so is ideal to showcase the work we do, the beauty and accessibility of the areas of Surrey and Kingston in which we work and to promote volunteering and sustainability.

Demonstrations of routing, normally used in making signposts , drew interested spectators of all ages and raised money for the Trust through creating house and garden signs, the most popular one being ‘Grumpy’s Shed!