Emily Smith and Eva Wishart launched a project to breed and release 250 harvest mice by September. Children residing in Devon are now invited to participate as "citizen captive breeders" to raise harvest mice for eventual release into the wild.
The conservation effort, named Wild Pets, was established by the two fourteen-year-old friends. Eva Wishart and Emily Smith previously bred and released several hundred harvest mice at a nature reserve located in Devon, south-west England.
The harvest mouse constitutes the UK’s smallest native rodent and is the sole British mammal possessing a prehensile tail. Eva founded Wild Pets following concerns regarding traditional pets being kept in enclosures and the wider extinction crisis.
In 2025, Eva's Wild Pets project achieved runner-up status in Prince William’s junior Earthshot competition. Derek Gow, who manages captive-breeding programmes for water voles, beavers, storks, and other mammals and birds, advised Eva and Emily on the project.
The expanded scope of the project will accept applications from children aged eight to thirteen. Wild Pets will supply participants with a pair of harvest mice and all necessary equipment following a training day next spring at Gow’s Rewilding Coombeshead centre in Devon.
The ultimate objective involves releasing 250 mice next September.
Chris Packham stated, “It’s so inspirational when young people think of an idea and then make it happen. It’s so, so important. What I like about young people doing things is that they think clearly, speak clearly and they get things done. Top work Eva and Emily. This is a really brilliant, brilliant project.”
Chris Packham
