We recently hosted a workshop for the Peterborough Association for the Blind (PAB), to let their members know about hazel dormouse conservation and to show how nest boxes are made for this species.

The group were particularly enthusiastic to get involved with the carpentry, and produced three excellent boxes that will be installed at Brampton Wood over the winter. 

The group were keen to learn about dormouse ecology, conservation and our own reintroduction project at Brampton Wood. 

For me this session was an interesting lesson in how to communicate an environmental message to people with visual impairments. It is important not to rely too heavily on visual presentations and we developed a number of sensory items for the talk. We were able to take along hazelnuts with the distinctive bite marks of the species, along with larger clay models of these. We also had a 'realistic' soft toy dormouse and some real dormouse nests that could be passed around the group. 

If you would like to know more about dormouse conservation you can visit the Peoples Trust for Endangered Species (PTES)