Islanders are being encouraged to take part in a giant nut hunt this Autumn, using discarded hazelnut shells to help discover where dormice, wood mice, voles and squirrels are living across the Isle of Wight.
The citizen science project, organised by Isle of Wight National Landscape, will run from Monday (26th October) until Saturday 21st November, with residents invited to search their local woodlands for evidence of small mammal activity.
Dormice, wood mice and voles are notoriously difficult to spot due to their small size and nocturnal habits, but they leave behind clues.
Each species gnaws through hazelnuts differently, meaning teeth marks on discarded shells can reveal which animal has been feeding on them.
The findings will help build a clearer picture of small mammal populations across the Island and where they are living.
Isle of Wight National Landscape is working alongside the Isle of Wight Council Library Service, National Trust, Gift to Nature and several other organisations to cover as much of the Island as possible.
Residents can collect identification guides and survey materials from libraries in Newport, Ryde, Sandown, Freshwater, Ventnor and Cowes, as well as Newtown Creek’s National Trust Visitor Point, Dimbola Museum and Galleries, Brading Roman Villa and Calbourne Water Mill.
Completed surveys and collected nutshells must be returned by Saturday 21st November.
Artist Lucia Para will also be running free, drop-in woodland workshops for families at Lord Louis Library in Newport on Monday 26th October from 10:00-12:00 and Ryde Library on Saturday 31st October from 14:00-16:00.
A talk exploring the mammals and what the survey findings could reveal will take place at Ryde Library on Wednesday 18th November from 17:00-18:00.
Further information about taking part, including where to look and how to identify teeth marks, can be found at www.isleofwight-nl.org.uk/greatnuthunt.
Residents can also sign up to receive the survey results at www.isleofwight-nl.org.uk/newsletter-signup.
