Back in 1993 a group of biologists and volunteers gathered in Brampton Wood, Cambridgeshire for a UK first – the release of hazel dormice in the original reintroduction of the species. The Wildlife Trust for Beds, Cambs and Northants (WTBCN) had bought this ancient woodland in 1992, successfully fundraising to purchase it from the MOD, just in time to provide ideal habitat for dormice a year later.

The descendants of this first population at Brampton Wood, sourced from Somerset, are still going strong to this day and have now expanded beyond the perimeter, found in the hedgerows beyond the wood; woodland restoration and maintenance work by the Trust during the last 30 years has provided the optimum dense habitat mix for the species to flourish.

Biologist and zoologist Dr Pat Morris oversaw the initial programme on behalf of the now defunct Nature Conservancy Council, with six years of research subsequent to the 1993 release: “The NCC wanted to understand if dormice were rare – and if so then why? They were looking to re-establish the species in counties that had lost populations during the last 100 years – 1908 was the last record for any in Cambridgeshire.”

On the preparation for the first reintroduction, Dr Morris recalls: “It was painstaking as the dormice were fitted with radio trackers and the transmitters were not all that accurate; very long lengths of wire had to be laid on a longitude and latitude grid which was very laborious. They then had to be tracked at night (see image gallery below); we hand made the release cages using coca-cola bottles in drainpipes for a water supply!”

Over the past three decades Wildlife Trust volunteers have been essential in the dormouse programme at Brampton Wood, involved all along the way from the initial reintroduction team to conducting annual surveys (May to September), the logging of data, along with all the groups who have made dormouse boxes, from men in sheds group to local schools and colleges.

Beginning in 1993, annual dormouse reintroductions - part of Natural England’s Species Recovery Programme - have been managed by PTES since 2000; PTES has continued to work with other NGOs and volunteers, releasing more than 1,112 hazel dormice into 26 different woodlands in 13 counties all over the UK. Their ongoing success is only possible thanks to a unique partnership of organisations and volunteers working tirelessly to help bring hazel dormice back from the brink.

Dr Gwen Hitchcock, WTBCN Senior Monitoring and Research Officer says: “Since the dormice were first introduced 30 years ago at Brampton Wood, volunteers have played a crucial role in monitoring their progress, with monthly surveys collecting a huge quantity of high quality data that has allowed the success of the project to be accurately monitored. A massive thank you to everyone who has been involved in the project over the years through collecting, sorting and analysing the data.”

Ian White, Dormouse & Training Officer for People’s Trust for Endangered Species says: “Hazel dormice were reintroduced to Brampton Wood in 1993; the very first dormouse reintroduction in the UK, and the fact that descendants of this initial population are still present after 30 years is a testament to the hard work by the Wildlife Trust BCN and their volunteers who manage the woodland so that it remains suitable for dormice and a range of other woodland species.

“This summer we introduced seven more dormice to Brampton in order to increase the genetic diversity of the existing population - a necessary step to ensure the long-term survival of a species that's declined nationally by 51% since 2000. Reintroducing any species can have its challenges, but Brampton Wood shows that when the right habitat is correctly managed, dormouse reintroductions can be a success and populations can thrive. This is very encouraging for dormice and gives hope for other reintroduced populations across the country too.”

*The newly reintroduced dormice were captive bred by Wildwood Trust, a member of the Common Dormouse Captive Breeders Group, having undergone an eight-week quarantine and full health-checks by expert wildlife vets at Paignton Zoo and ZSL’s Disease Risk Analysis and Health Surveillance (DRAHS) team.