Dormice thriving at Larkey Valley Woods

Larkey Valley Woods in Chartham is home to a thriving dormouse population, as can be seen from these rather cute pictures!

As the owners of the land, we are working with the Kent Wildlife Trust, who manage it on our behalf, and a team of volunteers linked to Ecology@Tardivel Ltd, to monitor the dormice.

We have around 100 dormice boxes across the site, and recently installed 14 more to replace some that were damaged or lost during storms earlier this year.

Volunteers visit Larkey Valley Woods every month between April and November to check on the dormice and record their numbers, the results of which are reported to national population monitoring schemes.

The mosaic of woodland habitats found at Larkey Valley Woods provides an ideal home for dormice, and through the regular visits and proactive steps such as the dormice boxes, we hope the population will continue to flourish.

Thanks to volunteer Jill Tardivel for the lovely photos.

Published: 26 July 2022