Water vole, Cromford Canal, Ian Wilson
Water Vole Recovery Programme
Nature's tireless wetland champions!
The water vole is under serious threat from habitat loss, their numbers have crashed to the point where they will become extinct within just a few years if we do nothing to help them. This is why we are taking big action to ensure water vole numbers will recover!
These tiny ‘giants’ of nature work tirelessly to improve waterside habitats for so many other species.
The River Dove catchment has been chosen for our water vole recovery programme, which aims to save our humble water vole from extinction.
How we’ll help bring back our water voles…
1. Restore Habitats
We will manage riverbanks to encourage greater biodiversity, including creating new reed beds beside slow-moving water, habitats where water voles and many other species will thrive. By slowing the flow of water we can re-wet dry areas, offering water voles a greater range of linked habitats. And we can create refuges where water voles can seek safety during flood conditions.
2. Control Trees and Scrub
By removing selected trees and scrub we will allow more light to reach the riverbanks and wetland ground – this encourages wildlife diversity, which helps water voles find more food sources and more suitable habitats.
Find out more:
Found along our waterways, it is similar-looking to the brown rat, but with a blunt nose, small ears and furry tail.
When water voles dig burrows they move nutrients around, helping plants to grow; by grazing on plants, they help encourage greater diversity in the riverbank vegetation; and these actions create benefits for insects like butterflies and bees, birds and other small mammals.
To survive, a water vole must eat the equivalent of 80% of its body weight in vegetation every day – no wonder they are such effective riverbank ‘gardeners’!
No small mammal does more than water voles to create opportunities for other riverbank wildlifeNature Recovery Advisor
