In the children's story Alice in Wonderland，a character known simply as the Dormouse (睡鼠）keeps napping during the Mad Hatter's tea party, waking occasionally to utter a nonsensical remark. This species, the largest at six inches long, can sleep for more than 11 months of the year; that makes it the longest known hibemator (冬眠动物) on Earth.
However, dormice prefer to sleep in the holes of old trees and centuries of timber harvesting (森林伐木）has highly endangered this kind of animals which play an important role in ecological balance.
So Neris Regional Park's dormouse nest box and conservation program began in 2005 as part of a sustainable forestry certification with the Forest Stewardship Council, based in Bonn, Germany. So far, park staff has installed 250 nest boxes throughout the park's thick, old-growth oak forests. A dormouse nest box resembles a standard birdhouse spun around backward and tied to a tree trunk. There's enough space between the trunk and the entrance hole for dormice to squeeze in and out of their artificial nest, but so little that it's difficult for predators such as owls to attack. Best of all, nest boxes bring the otherwise mysterious creatures within reach for scientists.
Dormice usually spend around seven months out of the year sleeping in underground holes and venture (冒险）from their holes for a few hours each night to eat. This means opportunities to observe the animals are basically nonexistent. But by placing cameras in nest boxes or just peeking inside, researchers can check in on the animals whenever they want.
In addition to monitoring nest boxes, scientists are seeking out and protecting individual trees that can provide habitat for dormice, which will actually benefit a broad range of other species.
