This week volunteers in all corners of England, Scotland and Wales are being called to help save 1 of Britain’s fastest declining mammals, by taking part in a nationwide water vole survey which runs until 15th June.
Wildlife charity People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) runs the annual survey which requires volunteers to visit a local waterway and record their findings online.
The survey is part of PTES’ National Water Vole Monitoring Programme, which was set up in 2015 to try and combat the decline in water vole populations.
Water voles underwent one of the most serious declines of any wild mammal in Britain during the 20th century, but with the help of volunteers, their fate can be turned around.
Emily Sabin, Water Vole Officer at PTES, explains:
“Arguably the best-known water vole is Ratty from The Wind in the Willows. Yet, despite his prominence water voles continue to experience an ongoing decline, are listed as Endangered on the Red List for Britain’s Mammals and are now facing extinction in Britain thanks to historical agricultural intensification, habitat loss and fragmentation, and predation from non-native American mink.”
“We’re asking volunteers to find their nearest stream, ditch, river or canal, and look out for water voles, listen for their characteristic ‘plop’ as they dive into the water, or see the signs they leave behind – from footprints and burrows in the riverbank to feeding signs and droppings. Any sightings or signs of American mink should also be recorded.”
The data gathered enable conservationists at PTES to see where water voles are living and where they’re no longer living, which dictates where conservation efforts need to be concentrated. Data from the survey’s 8-year history also show how populations are changing at a local level year on year, which adds to the nationwide, and long-term, picture of how Britain’s water voles are faring.
You can take part by visiting www.ptes.org/watervoles.
