Mammals in a Sustainable Environment (MISE) is a project funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the Ireland Wales Programme 2007-2013 (INTERREG IVA) that aims to foster involvement of communities in Wales and Ireland in mammal conservation.
The project is a partnership between The Vincent Wildlife Trust, Countryside Council for Wales (CCW), Snowdonia National Park Authority, Waterford Institute of Technology, Waterford County Council and the National
Biodiversity Data Centre.
The MISE project is developing non-invasive DNA-based techniques to monitor small and medium sized mammals in areas of west Wales and in and around Waterford in East Ireland. With the help of volunteers and local people, we are undertaking monitoring and conservation activities for species of conservation interest, including red squirrel, otter, pine marten, polecat, dormouse, harvest mouse and bats. Analysis of samples collected from field surveys allows the identification of potential threats to individual species which will be used to advise conservation work to safeguard the future of these mammals.
For more information on the project, please see the project website.
To find out about what happened during the first year of the project, read the project e-newsletter (in English or Welsh).
Upcoming Events in 2013
| Survey/event | Date | Location |
Dormouse nest box check
| 16th May | Pentre Ifan, Pembs |
| Dormouse nest box check | 20th May | Cwm Clettwr, Ceredigion |
| Dormouse nest box check | 20th June | Cwm Clettwr, Ceredigion
|
| Water vole ecology & survey training day | 6th July (TBC) | Wetlands Centre, Llanelli |
| Harvest mouse bait pot survey | 8th & 10th July | Artists Valley, Ceredigion |
Harvest mouse bait pot survey
| 16th & 18th July | Rhos Llawr Cwrt NNR, Ceredigion |
| Dormouse nest box check | 22nd July | Cwm Clettwr, Ceredigion |
| Dormouse nest box making day | 23rd August | Cardigan |
| Harvest mouse survey training day | 5th September | TBC |
| Dormouse nest box check | 15th September | Brechfa, Carms |
Dormouse nest box check
| 16th September | Cwm Clettwr, Ceredigion |
| Collect droppings from bat boxes | 7th October (TBC) | Pentre Ifan, Pembs |
Dormouse nest box check
| 21st October | Cwm Clettwr, Ceredigion |
Dormouse nest box check
| 22nd October | Pentre Ifan, Pembs
|
If you are interested in attending an event or getting involved in the project in any way, please contact project officer Jenny Macpherson. Some dates may be subject to change; please contact Jenny for further information.
For information on events in Ireland, please see the project website.
West Wales Polecat Survey
We are currently collecting polecat records from west Wales. In our recent national polecat distribution survey, many 10km squares in Wales, the polecat’s historical stronghold, generated no records at all. Either polecats have become scarce in Wales or polecats remain common but records are sparse because the density of humans, roads and traffic are lower than in central and southern England.
We are interested in polecat records from Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Gwynedd and Anglesey. If you have seen a polecat, please refer to this leaflet (English or Welsh) for information on how to submit your record to us.
The MISE project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the Ireland Wales Programme 2007-2013 (INTERREG IVA).