Year 9 Student Leads Project To Reintroduce Harvest Mice Into The Wild

Eva, a Year 9 pupil at Wellington School, has turned her passion for wildlife into a remarkable conservation project. Along with her friend, she has been working to replenish local harvest mouse populations after discovering that the species is under threat in England due to farming practices and habitat loss.

Over the past two years, the pair have bred dozens of the tiny rodents in 27 tanks in their garages, carefully creating natural habitats using honeysuckle and hazel branches harvested from Eva’s garden. Their dedication culminated recently when they successfully released 250 harvest mice into a nearby nature reserve.

The project, entirely student-led, was financed by £4,000 raised through crowdfunding. Support came from across the country, with a major boost when wildlife presenter Chris Packham shared the appeal with his millions of followers, helping the girls reach their target.

The release itself was meticulously planned. With the help of a local carpenter, they built a soft-release enclosure designed with tiny holes to allow the mice to move freely while keeping out predators such as snakes and rats. This ensured the mice had a safe place to adapt before venturing fully into the wild.

Because harvest mice are native to the UK, no licence is required to breed and release them, making the project both achievable and impactful.

Eva’s initiative demonstrates not only an extraordinary commitment to conservation and entrepreneurship, but also the power of young people to make a meaningful difference in protecting local wildlife.