Our small grants scheme was set up to enable members to carry out research into Devon’s mammals.  This page has information on some of the projects we have funded to date. If you have an idea for a research project and are interested in applying for a grant, please contact us.

Dormice in Devon gardens

Rare and secretive dormice are sometimes seen visiting garden bird feeders. Based on sightings reported to Devon Biodiversity Records Centre between 1999-2009, Stephen Carroll investigated this further, analysing ‘dormouse gardens’ and their surrounding landscape features.

Gardens visited by dormice were generally in rural or rural edge areas, and although sometimes some distance from large woodlands or other suitable habitat, were often linked by hedgerow networks. Hedge quality was also found to be an important factor within individual gardens. The findings relate to other studies of dormouse populations in fragmented woodland habitats.

You can read the full report here:
Dormice in Gardens

Nut Hunts small grant report

The observation that dormice open hazel nuts in a distinctive way was made in south Devon by HG and Elaine Hurrell, and the method used as a basis for two national dormouse surveys (‘Great Nut Hunts’) in 1993 and 2001. 10 years after the most recent national survey, Devon Wildlife Trust, in partnership with dormouse workers from Cornwall and the People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES), aimed to carry out a follow up survey across Devon (with a parallel exercise taking place in Cornwall), looking at past Nut Hunt sites, and exploring potential new sites, also encouraging community involvement in willdife surveys. This was to take place in affiliation with a repeat of the national survey led by People’s Trust for Endangered Species in 2009-2011 (entitled the ‘Golden Great Nut Hunt’).

Devon Wildlife Trust organised a series of public workshop events through late summer and autumn 2009, advertised county-wide through DWT’s event publicity, with at least one event in each Devon district. Events comprised a mini-talk, practice identifying different mammal gnaw marks on hazel nuts, and a site visit. Attendees were then encouraged to visit their own local sites to look for dormouse hazel nut feeding signs and report back on findings.

Devon Mammal Group provided grant support towards room hire and event costs. 11 workshops were held between August – October 2009, with events in Ipplepen, Bideford, Loddiswell, Welcombe Barton, Exeter, Stockland, Colyton, North Tawton and south Dartmoor. A number of DWT family nature club Watch groups also took part.

Results of the national Golden Great Nut Hunt 2009-2011 can be viewed via the PTES website:
http://www.ptes.org/files/1642_gnh_update.pdf

Bats at Paignton Zoo

Tracey Hamston, UK Conservation Officer for the Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust (WWCT), and Katharine Luxmoore, a student at the University of Plymouth, undertook a study of bats at Clennon Gorge nature reserve at Paignton Zoo.

They recorded nine species of bat, including Barbastelle – a new record for the site.  The survey findings underlined the importance of WWCT’s wetland areas for foraging bats and raised new questions for future research.  There are plans to introduce ongoing monitoring, and this information will help to manage the site and promote conservation of native bats.

You can read the full report here:
Bats at Paignton Zoo