Have a mice life

Sevan, Madhan and Kash were walking back home from their afternoon mission in Greenford and recalled that Ealing Wildlife Group's nature reserve is on the way back.

'Do you know when then volunteering day at Costons Lane finishes?' asked Sevan.

Kash reached for her phone to look that up on the EWG website. And she found something else!

'There's a harvest mice release event today! In half an hour at Paradise Fields.'

'Let's go there!'

The event was just a little bit more than 30 minutes away by foot - definitely less time to get there for GoodGymers!

At the meeting spot Sevan, Madhan and Kash found plenty of friends from Ealing Wildlife Group Horsenden Farm. Dr Sean McCormac gave a speech explaining why EWG breeds harvest mice and releases them into the wild. The species became extinct in our borough in the previous century and the rewilding project in Ealing brings them back into the borough's meadows along with other animals like barn owls.

Spoiler alert: harvest mice are food for barn owls 🥲

Dr Sean explained that today's effort is the last release of the harvest mice at Paradise Fields this year and a 'soft release', meaning that the tiny rodents would get a headstart in their new, independent life. Volunteers brought water, lining and fruit kebabs to support the mice's first days in the wild.

Previously, the GoodGym crew joined another mice release this year: at Marnham Fields where they helped carrying containers with the critters and released a mice each. This time the volunteers outnumbered the 25 rodents being released and the children were given the priority to carry the boxes and release the mice. What was left for GoodGymers was to join the group of paparazzi taking photos of cute animals holding onto the grass with their nimble tails and whisper to each released mouse:

Make good choices!

If you'd like to get involved with the next Ealing Wildlife Group event related to rewilding, come to Paradise Fields for the Big Beaver Volunteer Day - the last push to prepare Paradise Fields for the arrival of our beavers in Autumn. Sign up here!