Island Life Magazine Ltd October/November 2014 | Page 62

COUNTRY LIFE The big tree plant D Gift to Nature is responsible for a variety of conservation sites around the Island, it is their mission to not only care for the Island’s wildlife but encourage everyone to get out and explore our fantastic countryside. uring the past two years Natural Enterprise have helped Islanders plant over 3,000 trees in ‘The Big Tree Plant’, a joint project with Spectrum Housing Association. The Big Tree Plant is a national project, launched to increase the number of trees planted in towns, cities and neighbourhoods throughout England. The target is to see one million trees planted by 2015, with over 800,000 already planted. It’s not too late to take part in the Big Tree Plant. There are still a number of oak, maple, disease-resistant elm, hazel, wild service and walnut to be planted across the Island this winter, helping to make our neighbourhoods more attractive, healthy and wildlife-friendly places to live. Any groups, schools or community organisations interested in participating in the planting should contact Tracy Underwood on 01983 201565 or email [email protected]. I n the course of my surveying work it is still always a real pleasure to see a dormouse, writes Tracy Underwood. I’m lucky enough to be licensed to survey for dormice – as a European Protected Species it is an offence to survey or handle them without being licensed. Before I started surveying I’d never seen a dormouse, as they are secretive little creatures, mainly nocturnal, and arboreal - living in trees and rarely venturing to ground level except to hibernate. Their distinctive ginger colour, furry tails and endearing large eyes make them distinguishable from other small mammals such as wood mice and voles. They spend half the year in hibernation, usually October or November until May, safely tucked up in a tightly-woven nest tucked in at ground level, at the bases of trees and hedges, under logs and rockeries, etc. Their name is derived from 62 www.visitilife.com the French word ‘dormir’ as in ‘to sleep’. Once they emerge in the spring they will then remain off the ground and are unlikely to venture across open areas. They feed on different food sources as the season progresses, starting with buds and young leaves, then tree flowers, fruits and aphids, berries and nuts. Female dormice tend to give birth mainly in July and August to a litter of four or five young who will remain with their mother for up to two months. In order to survive hibernation these youngsters will need to have reached a weight of 15g by late October. In terms of lifespan, assuming they survive hibernation and predators then a dormouse can live up to 5 years. Gift to Nature manages a range of conservation sites across the island – for further information please visit gifttonature.org.uk or follow us on www. facebook.com/gifttonature