Click here for Survey Results
Our 2022/23 National Harvest Mouse Survey Season is now complete. Please send any data to science@themammalsociety.org, or your local coordinator.
We need to know more about harvest mice
On the Red List for Britain’s Mammals, the harvest mouse is classified as Near Threatened in Britain. This means that they are at risk of becoming threatened with extinction in the near future. Unfortunately, we do not have good estimates of how many harvest mice there are in the wild, so we really have no idea how bad their situation is or what sort of conservation actions should be put in place.
This is why we’ve launched the National Harvest Mouse Survey across the United Kingdom. We’re looking for people across the UK who can get outside and look for harvest mice nests! Surveys do not take long and no prior experience or specialist equipment is required to carry them out; we explain all in our project protocol.
Watch our video below to find out more.
So how can I get involved?
Our National Harvest Mouse Survey runs from October to March each year, in line with when mice leave their nests. This means that this season’s Harvest Mouse Survey has begun. Keep an eye out on this webpage, and our social media channels, for updates about the upcoming 2023/24 season, and how to get involved.
If you’re interested in volunteering to search for harvest mouse nests in your area in our upcoming surveys, can you fill out the short form below (click on ‘Sign Up Here’). We will add you to our list and keep you posted on the survey. Remember, no prior experience is needed! You can also email the team at science@themammalsociety.org.
If you’d prefer not to donate your time why not donate to our Harvest Mouse Appeal? You can learn more about this here.
If you do get involved with the survey, we’d love to follow along with your adventures! Please share your thoughts, photos, videos and more using our #NationalHarvestMouse hashtag.
Local Coordinators
Our National Harvest Mouse Survey relies on local coordinators, who provide information on local events, help to direct surveys and collect survey data. We already have a fantastic team of coordinators across the UK who will be joining us again for next season’s survey.
We do have some areas without coordinators though too! If you’re based in any Welsh county, Avon, Derbyshire, Flintshire, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, London, Merseyside, Middlesex, Norfolk, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire, Surrey, Warwickshire, the West Midlands, West Sussex or Yorkshire and would be interested in becoming a local coordinator then we’d particularly like to hear from you! Get in touch at science@themammalsociety.org for more information on how to get involved.
When is the next survey happening?
Our third annual National Harvest Mouse Survey will take place between October 2023 and March 2024. Harvest mouse surveys are carried out during these months so as not to disturb breeding harvest mouse nests. Surveys do not take long to carry out – they can be as long as you’d like! For more information please read our project protocol. Our timeline this year is as follows:
- Now: Register your interest by emailing us at science@themammalsociety.org.
- October – March: The Survey period! During this time training will also be held so you will be ready to hunt for those nests!
- March 2024 onwards: We will be analysing the records and let you know what we have found.
What does the survey involve?
We’ve written a helpful guide which explains exactly how to survey for harvest mice in your area! This is called our project protocol. It includes information on where and how you should be looking, how to identify a harvest mouse nest and how you should conduct your survey. See our handy diagram below to determine if you’ve just found a harvest mouse nest!
Harvest mouse identification flow chart from Sarah Butcher and the Devon Harvest Mouse Project and the Mammal Society.
If you want to learn more about getting involved with the National Harvest Mouse Survey, you can watch our webinar below:
We have a lot of extra information to help you with your survey, including our risk assessment, instructions on using Mammal Mapper, health and safety and letter to landowners. Please have a look at these before starting your survey.
How can I record my data?
There are a number of ways that you can record data from conducted surveys! The Mammal Society’s Mammal Mapper App is geared up to record the information needed specifically for this project and more information on how to use the app for the survey is here. You can also simply report your survey findings directly to us via email to science@themammalsociety.org. However, if you would rather record your findings on paper or Excel you can use the following:
Harvest Mouse Survey Excel Recording Template
Harvest Mouse Survey Printable Recording Template
Frequently Asked Questions
Click the button below to expand answered frequently asked questions.
Thank you for your interest in the project! To discover more about harvest mice click here.
#HarvestMouseSurvey
