Exmoor National Park’s CareMoor for Exmoor Winter Appeal to raise funds for dormouse boxes and monitoring has been a great success with more than £1,000 over the original target of £3,000 being raised.
National Park funding officer Philip Kiberd said: “The figure raised exceeded our expectations and we’d really like to thank everyone who donated to the Winter Appeal which has raised so much for dormouse conservation on Exmoor. It’s been a very successful campaign and we are extremely grateful for the many generous donations.
“Funds received are great boost for the dormouse on Exmoor and will hopefully go a long way to ensuring the species thrives within the National Park. We will be starting working at the beginning of January surveying old boxes and purchasing new ones to install over the spring so they are ready for the summer.”
Dormice are one of the world’s most ancient mammals and although their numbers have halved in the UK over the past 100 years, they are still be found on Exmoor, a nationally important habitat for the species. Maintaining good dormouse population is particularly important as they are an indicator of the health of the environment in which they live. They are omnivorous – eating insects, flowers, nectar, berries and nuts, but they need a good source of food from April to October. This means if they are doing well the woodland is in a good condition for many other creatures, but when numbers decrease it suggests a lack of food that will also affect other animals.
Thousands of pounds have been raised through CareMoor over the last year by local businesses and those that have enjoyed Exmoor. As a result CareMoor has been able to support a range of nature, heritage and access projects across the National Park, that wouldn’t otherwise have happened. You can donate online here or by cheque (payable to Exmoor National Park (CareMoor)) sent to Exmoor House, Dulverton, Somerset TA22 9HL or any of our three National Park Centres in Dulverton, Dunster and Lynmouth.
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