Autumn!!! And did you hear Chris Packham talking about the way trees have kicked into autumn up to two months early this morning on the radio? It was really interesting how he did what so many commentators fail to do and bring it straight back to climate change and the fact that the relatively steady state we have experienced as a species is entering chaos …
As ever, a chance to shout at me, or see more photos, is over on the Substack version …
These changes in the pattern of seasons are important - some species are more able to cope with the drama than others, and I do wonder how hedgehogs are faring … please, over on substack, let me know if you have been seeing a change in your hogs … and also - whether any of the efforts you put in seem to have worked … have hedgehogs been using your ‘WILD’ patch? Have they been coming to shallow dishes of water? Using your log pile?
Now, for a handbrake turn … though there is a connection … Chris Packham!
Harvest mice! Have you ever met a harvest mouse? They are our smallest rodent, they are VERY cute, and they are the only mammal in the UK with a prehensile tail (meaning that they grasp hold of things, like plant stems, to keep themselves steady.)
The last time I saw a harvest mouse was down in Devon, while visiting Derek Gow’s magnificent project, Rewilding Combeshead.
But these were not wild mice - they were in an enclosure, part of a breeding programme. Because these beautiful animals, once ubiquitous in our farmed landscape, are now declining dramatically. Industrial agriculture coupled with changing climate are contributing to this …
Which has many parallels with hedgehogs - though the remedy in this case, or at least this part of the remedy is very different.
Enter a young friend of mine, Eva. She has a passion for these tiny beasts and was horrified at the decline in these wild-wonders. She decided, along with her best friend Emily, to do something.
This is where my admiration for these 13 year olds leaps into a different league. They could have done something really good - a sponsored walk to raise money for example … but no … why not, they thought, set up a breeding programme in our garages and gardens and then release the results into a nature reserve?
Even now I would hesitate, but I think back to the useless 13 year old I was and just realise there was no way I could take on something like this. I LOVE so much that there are people like Eva and Emily willing to push the boundaries of expectation for teenagers!
So, with mice and guidance from Derek Gow, they started. They got 27 tanks - from the dump - and collected vegetation, honeysuckle and hazel, and let the mice get to work.
Along the way they attracted the attention of Chris Packham - who is so utterly wonderful at the kind support for people doing good - and that helped them raise the first £4000 … now they have a tiny little bit more money to raise - and this is where you come in … because TODAY IS THE LAST DAY to get that bit … so please, have a look HERE and give what you can.
On 27th August they soft-released 250 harvest mice in the nature reserve. A soft release is when you provide a cushion!! In this case that comes in the form of an enclosure that has holes small enough to stop predators getting in, but large enough to let the mice out …
I used soft-release in one of my hedgehog projects, to see whether allowing the hogs to acclimatise in an enclosure set in the environment that was to be their new home would improve their chances of survival. In my case, there did not seem to be a great improvement, but with the mice, this is the best way forward.
Oh, and because he really does go that extra mile - Chris turned up for the release! I know how thrilled those girls are to have the support of someone like Chris! But they probably do not realise how thrilled the likes of Chris (and me!) are that they are willing and able to make such a difference. It has started with harvest mice … who knows what next!!
Well, I thought I would ask!! Only polite - so I called Eva and wow - when I grow up I want to be as strong and clear and wise as Eva is now!! First I asked about how it felt to let the mice go … ‘I have become an empty-nester!’ she said. ‘It feels really strange to not have that responsibility - but they did make a lot of mess.’
The future?
‘I am really interested in seeing how the mice use the soft-release enclosures,’ she said. ‘Most people who release harvest mice just let them go. I wonder whether the way we do it might be better? So far, 5 days on, they are still using the space - I have a camera keeping check.’
‘Did you know I was on Blue Peter?’ she asked. No, I had to admit that I had not been keeping a close eye on her (I will be doing so now!) ‘I was runner-up in Prince William's Earthshot Jnr prize for my ‘Wild Pets’ idea … One day I took my harvest mice into school to do a talk and all the kids - and teachers! - went crazy for them. Lots of people said they wanted to do what I’m doing and that It made me think there must be loads more children across Britain and the world who care about the “missing species” and trying to get them back before it’s too late.… so why don’t we create a network of children carefully breeding the animals, supervised by professional ecologists, and then releasing them into specially prepared wildlife recovery sites?”
To be honest I was utterly gobsmacked by this - such a brilliant idea that I had never even considered … oh, thank you for Eva and all the other Eva’s out there. You give this old man hope!
Before you go - don’t forget to head over to the crowdfunder page …
photo by Zac Wishart