Water Vole Rescue needs to start now
… before it’s too late!
Recent
headlines stating that water voles have become “the fastest declining mammal in
Britain” have been quick to draw to our attention to the fact that sadly another
one of our native mammals is under threat of extinction.
For a long time “Ratty”, as water voles became affectionately known through Kenneth Grahame’s classic book “Wind in the Willows,” were a familiar site on many rivers and waterways. With the centenary of this novel upon us, now is the time to act swiftly to ensure that water voles can be restored to many of the sites that they have disappeared from.
The reasons for the decline are complex but it would appear that there has been a steady decline of water voles since the turn of the 20th century and it is thought that water voles have disappeared from 95% of their original UK wetland locations since 1900. This very much reflects the trends of changes in waterway management, land drainage, habitat loss and pollution. However since the late 1950s, another factor in the form of the accidental introduction of the non-native American mink has accelerated the decline.
The
gently flowing chalk rivers of Hampshire, with well vegetated banks with
relatively soft substrate, can potentially provide ideal habitats for water
voles. But despite this numbers are still declining and in some river valleys
populations have disappeared altogether.
The decline of water voles in the UK should be a matter of concern for us all. Their potential disappearance from our riverbanks means more than the loss of one part of the wetland jigsaw. Good waterside habitats also supports a host of other wildlife including kingfishers, damselflies, Atlantic salmon, brown trout and kingcups.
It is essential that we do all we can to protect and expand the remaining water vole populations. The Wildlife Trust is therefore engaging in a number of water vole recovery and reintroduction projects to try and ensure a better future for this charismatic creature.
To help save the water vole and protect other wetland wildlife we have launched an appeal to raise £55,000 to carry out a range of measures including surveys of riversides and streams; riverside improvement work; trial reintroduction projects and giving advice to landowners.
The appeal has got off to a good start with a donation of £5,000 from Hampshire natural mineral water supplier Hildon Water. Hildon Water has also generously offered to donate 5p to the appeal for every bottle of Hildon Water sold between 1st July and 30th September.
Please help us meet our target. Making a donation is easy …You can donate by post to Water Vole Appeal, Beechcroft House, Vicarage Lane, Curdridge, Hampshire SO32 2DP, by telephone by calling 01489 774 400 or online at www.hwt.org.uk.
Photo's by Kenny Crooks and Chris Bean