Endangered hazel dormice have been discovered at Babers Farm in Dorset, managed by the Countryside Regeneration Trust (CRT), a significant find following the organisation's biodiversity improvement efforts. The detection of these European Protected Species is important because their presence signals a healthy, well-connected landscape, offering hope for a species that has disappeared from 20 English counties since the 19th century. Dormice are vulnerable to extinction, and their survival depends on diverse woodlands, species-rich hedgerows and connected habitats that provide year-round sustenance.

The CRT installed 39 footprint tunnels along hedgerows and woodland edges since May, with nine tunnels recording dormouse prints. This discovery at Babers Farm represents one of the first positive results from the charity's 16 properties following a fundraising appeal that raised £6,000 for surveys and habitat improvements. Dormouse populations have declined due to the loss of traditional woodland management practices such as coppicing and habitat fragmentation, whilst climate change has further disrupted their hibernation patterns. Surveys are continuing through September in Dorset and November in Surrey, with ongoing work planned through 2026 to map dormouse presence across the CRT's farms and guide future conservation efforts.