Hi, I’m Ben Newell, content creator and author at Worcester Terrariums.

While making a video about Eurasian Harvest Mice, I learned about the work being done by Ealing Wildlife Group to bring Harvest Mice populations back to London, and I wanted to support it properly.

Harvest mice were once common in the UK, but due to habitat loss they’ve declined significantly and disappeared from areas like Ealing decades ago. They hadn’t been seen here since the 1980s.

In 2021, Ealing Wildlife Group started a reintroduction project to change that. Now, in year 5, they’ve successfully released over 3,000 harvest mice across sites like Horsenden Meadows, Paradise Fields and Yeading Meadows, helping rebuild a connected wildlife corridor.

Why this matters

Harvest mice only survive in the right conditions. If they’re present, it means the habitat is healthy, connected and supporting other wildlife too. If they disappear, it’s usually a sign that something’s gone wrong. They were gone from Ealing for over 40 years. This project is helping bring them back and restore the habitats they depend on.

What makes this even more impressive is that Ealing Wildlife Group is entirely volunteer led. A small, dedicated team is managing breeding, habitat restoration, releases and long term monitoring. This isn’t a large, funded organisation. It’s local people doing the work, for free!

How the funds will be used

100% of the proceeds will go to Ealing Wildlife Group and will be used for the following:

* Habitat restoration and management

* Captive breeding to maintain healthy and diverse populations

* Monitoring and surveys to track long term success

* Community engagement, education, and local involvement

The project has already shown real results! At one of the newest sites, 33 nests were recorded last year, showing that the mice are settling and breeding in the wild. This is truly working!

Every donation helps support the return of harvest mice to London and the restoration of the habitats they depend on.

Once the fundraiser ends, I’ll share proof of the final donation on my social media pages.

Thank you for reading.

Ben Newell