 Water Vole Recovery Project
The water vole, a favourite character in the children’s classic The Wind in the Willows, is Britain’s fastest declining mammal. It has lost a staggering 95% of its range since 1900. This is largely due to habitat destruction and the introduction of a voracious predator, the American mink. The Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust’s pioneering project to reverse this decline began in 1998. Since then the Water Vole Recovery Project has aimed to:
- halt the loss of further water voles
- ensure that water vole numbers are back to what they were in the 1990s by 2010
- Tell us about your water vole sightings by completing an online survey form, with a grid reference, to tell us where you have seen any water voles. This information is used to target surveys and inform us about water vole colonies which have remained undiscovered
- If you are interested in becoming a volunteer for the project e-mail watervole@bbowt.org.uk. Details of training opportunities (920kb) are available
- Manage your water course for water voles. For information please look at the Guide for Landowners
Water voles are being affected by developments which can severely disturb their habitats. Visit the planning page for more information about considering water voles in planning applications.
Water vole survey results
All the results of the surveys carried out this year have been collected and are currently being analysed.
This year 500 surveys have been carried out covering 250km of watercourse throughout Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire.
The project would like to thank all the volunteers who have carried out surveys and all the landowners who have allowed the surveyors access to their land. The results will be available on-line in the New Year.
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