Harvest Mouse: Action Plan
What we want to achieve - Key objectives
- Raise awareness of the need to maintain and extend Harvest Mouse populations and encourage participation in their conservation
- Carry out surveys*, record signs and sightings of Harvest Mice, and submit records to the Barnsley Biological Record Centre
- Determine Harvest Mouse populations and distribution across Barnsley
- Restore, improve, maintain and create suitable Harvest Mouse habitats
- Create links and corridors between appropriate sites with a view to reducing the distance between existing populations.
* at known established sites and potential new sites
Marking Progress
- Number of sites supporting colonies of Harvest Mouse
- Size of colonies of Water Voles
- Sites under appropriate conservation management for Harvest Mouse
Achievements
- Harvest Mouse nest surveys, including annual surveys at Worsbrough Reservoir. Sorby DVLP
- Riparian Mammal project NIA. 2012-15
- Training in Harvest Mouse nest surveys
Sorby NIA DVLP 2015
Proposed actions
- Publish materials to ensure that land managers are aware of the habitat requirements of Harvest Mice
- Provide advice on measures to support and increase Harvest Mice numbers
- Analysis of existing and historic records:
- Further surveys of known sites and of areas where previously recorded
- Further habitat improvement for Harvest Mice in the Dearne Valley
Roles:
Land owners and managers: follow best practice in managing grasslands and wetlands to support and extend existing Harvest Mice populations
Wildlife conservation bodies: give advice and provide practical support for habitat management for Harvest Mice.
Barnsley Council as planning authority:
- takes into consideration records of Harvest Mouse presence in the planning process
- sets conditions in relevant planning applications to ensure that relevant habitats for Harvest Mice are maintained and enhanced;
Voluntary groups and volunteers:
- provide records of sightings and signs of Harvest Mice
- help with information about the condition of sites that support Harvest Mice
- help with measures to support Harvest Mice, eg: habitat management.