Please reply to sussexmammalsurv...@googlemail.com Dear All, The Sussex Mammal Group is working in partnership with PTES (People's Trust for Endangered Species) on the third Great Nut Hunt to find out more about where dormice are across the country. We are looking for volunteers to join in the surveys in Sussex. Although dormice are nocturnal, the best way of finding out if dormice are using a wood or hedge is to look for hazel nut shells that they have opened to get at the nut inside. If you would like to be involved in the Great Nut Hunt your help would be greatly appreciated. To participate you initially need to register your interest with PTES at: http://www.greatnuthunt.org.uk <http://www.greatnuthunt.org.uk/> and with us (by return email). PTES will send interested volunteers an information pack and we will supply details of the grid references and names of woods that need surveying for you to choose from and also let you know about a Nut Hunt training day. We ran a Sussex Nut Hunt last autumn/winter (2008/2009), where we encouraged volunteers to revisit historic sites where dormice had been recorded in the last Nut Hunt and from ad hoc records. 31 sites were surveyed with 19 coming back as absent, 2 unknown and 10 present. We'd like to revisit those woods where no signs were found last winter and some other woods where we have historic records which haven't yet been revisited. I look forward to hearing back from you soon. Best wishes,
-- Sam Finn Sussex Mammal Group c.o. Sussex Biodiversity Record Centre Woods Mill Henfield West Sussex BN5 9SD Sussex Wildlife Trust is a company limited by guarantee under the Companies Act. Registered in England, Company No. 698851. Registered Charity No. 207005. VAT Registration No. 191 305969. Registered Office: Woods Mill, Henfield, West Sussex BN5 9SD. Telephone 01273 492630
