CRT launches festive appeal to protect one of Britain’s most vulnerable mammals. We've launched our 2025 Christmas Appeal to support one of Britain’s most charming yet threatened small mammals, the hazel dormouse. The Shelter Belts for Hazel Dormice appeal aims to raise £6,000 to fund habitat restoration and install footprint monitoring tunnels across six CRT farms in Herefordshire, Surrey, and Dorset, helping to protect and detect dormice before it’s too late. The appeal is part of the CRT’s Christmas campaign, and you can also support us by purchasing our 2026 wall calendar or buying the gift of a CRT Friendship to join our charity. Checking a dormouse footprint tunnel Ruth Moss with dormouse footprint tunnel Why Dormice Need Our Help Once widespread across England and Wales, the hazel dormouse, a protected species, has declined dramatically over the past two decades. According to the National Dormouse Monitoring Programme, populations have fallen by 70 per cent since 2000, and the species is now locally extinct in 14 English counties within its historical range. They are currently classified as 'vulnerable' to extinction but research in 2023 suggests they should be re-categorised to 'endangered'. Connecting Habitats for Dormice and Other Wildlife Ruth Moss, the CRT’s conservation and mapping officer, who is also training to get her Hazel dormouse disturbance licence, enabling her to check dormice nest boxes, said: “Hazel dormice are considered bioindicators because they are sensitive to habitat and population fragmentation. When they are present, there will also be lots of other sensitive species from bats and butterflies to birds and amphibians as their habitat is suitable for a host of different species. “Through our Christmas appeal, we hope to reconnect fragmented habitat at Turnastone Court Farm, offering dormice greater access to suitable habitat, and also detect where they may be on our other farms so we can improve habitat there in the future too.” Dormouse footprints at Awnells, Herefordshire A hazel dormouse Funds raised through the appeal will support two key nature-friendly farming actions: Installing 250 footprint tunnels across six CRT farms in Surrey, Herefordshire and Dorset to detect dormice populations without disturbance. Contribute towards creating a new wildlife corridor (shelter belt) at Turnastone Court Farm in Herefordshire, connecting an existing woodland where dormice are known to live to another area of woodland. This will also support the charity’s nature-friendly farming aims as the shelter belt will provide wind protection in the winter to livestock and shelter and shade in the summer. The footprint tunnels, which record dormouse prints as they pass through, can be checked by the conservation team and CRT’s trained volunteers, allowing large-scale surveys without requiring specialist dormouse licences, as dormice are unlikely to be disturbed. Ruth added: “This is a wonderful opportunity for people to give something truly meaningful this Christmas. “Every £5 donation can buy a tunnel to help us detect dormice on our farms, while larger gifts will contribute to the creation of a shelter belt that benefits dormice and many other species, including the farm’s livestock. Healthy hedgerows and connected woodlands provide food, shelter and navigation routes for birds, bats and hedgehogs too.” Farms Supported by the Appeal Pierrepont Farm and Green Farm (Surrey) Turnastone Court Farm and Awnells Farm (Herefordshire) Babers Farm and Bere Marsh Farm (Dorset) There are several ways to support the CRT Christmas appeal this season: Donate directly online: Donate Buy the CRT 2026 Wall Calendar: Buy Give the gift of a CRT Friendship: Give Every donation helps restore wildlife habitats, reconnect woodlands, and protect hazel dormice and the many other species that share their homes. Published: November 2025 Manage Cookie Preferences