The first of 21 specially-commissioned hazel nuts has been found in Ryton Wood near Coventry as part of the Great Nut Hunt, a campaign by the People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) and Natural England to help save the endangered hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius). 

 

In October 2009 PTES launched the third Great Nut Hunt – a nationwide public survey encouraging people to take a walk in local woodlands over the winter months and search for signs of nibbled hazel nuts to help the wildlife charity assess population numbers and the distribution status of dormice. To encourage would-be ‘nutters’ to take part in the survey, and to mark the 21st anniversary of the National Dormouse Monitoring Programme this year,  PTES has  hidden one gold and 20 solid silver hazel nuts in woodlands across England and Wales.

 

Now one of these special treasures has been found by survey volunteer Diane Slater (49) who was walking the family dog, Hera with friends and their children when she discovered one of the hallmarked silver hazel nuts in Ryton Woods, Coventry - the first of the 21 nuts to be found.

 

Once widespread in the UK, the dormouse is now an endangered species and vulnerable to extinction. Nationally they have disappeared from more than half of their historic range due to the loss and fragmentation of their habitat as well as their sensitivity to climate change.  PTES can make use of nibbled hazel nuts to gather data about the presence or absence of dormice and improve knowledge about the distribution of the species, as well as determine the general health of our woodlands and hedgerows.

 

There is one gold hazel nut and 19 silver ones still awaiting discovery, so for your chance to participate in the Great Nut Hunt and win one of these amazing pieces, visit www.greatnuthunt.co.uk