Wanted: children to rear harvest mice at home for wild release in Devon
A youth-led conservation project called Wild Pets is recruiting children in Devon to breed harvest mice for reintroduction into the wild. The initiative aims to restore populations of the endangered rodent, which has suffered due to agricultural changes.
Why it matters
It demonstrates grassroots youth engagement in biodiversity conservation and habitat restoration.
Chris Packham at a harvest mouse release with Wild Pets founders Emily Smith (left) and Eva Wishart (right) in Tiverton, Devon, in 2025. Chris Packham at a harvest mouse release with Wild Pets founders Emily Smith (left) and Eva Wishart (right) in Tiverton, Devon, in 2025. Wildlife Wanted: children to rear harvest mice at home for wild release in Devon Teenagers Eva Wishart and Emily Smith launch project to breed and release 250 of the tiny animals by September
Prefer the Guardian on Google Children in Devon are being invited to become “citizen captive breeders”, rearing harvest mice at home for release into the wild to help revive endangered nature.
Wild Pets, a new conservation project launched by two 14-year-old friends, is seeking 20 Devon-based children to rear hundreds of mice after the duo’s own successful restoration efforts.
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