WILDLIFE volunteers are needed to monitor for signs of an animal listed as endangered on the Red List for Britain’s Mammals.
Although Salisbury has had 18 water voles trapped and re-located along the river Avon recently as part of the Salisbury River Park project, the mammals are in a catastrophic decline across the country and facing extinction.
The risks include habitat loss, fragmentation, agricultural intensification, and predation from American mink.
The People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) National Water Vole Monitoring Programme aims to ensure water voles will become commonplace once again and need volunteers in Salisbury to try to identify areas where water voles may be.
Water vole officer at the PTES, Emily Sabin said: “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, and are listed as Endangered.”
In 2022, 216 sites were surveyed and 85 of those sites revealed signs of water voles and this year, the PTES is hoping that more people will get involved in this citizen science project.
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Emily said: “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 collated enables the conservationists at PTES to identify where water voles are living and where they are no longer living, and this indicates the areas where conservation efforts need to be concentrated the most.
In the long-term, the data over the survey’s eight-year history provides an important indicator year on year and adds to the picture of how Britain’s water voles are doing.
With glossy dark brown fur and a blunt snout with small, black eyes, water voles’ ears are rounded, and almost hidden and have a furry tail which is dissimilar to that of a rat.
Emily said: “No prior experience is needed, and we’re offering free online training and Zoom talks so that anyone can find out more and hopefully get involved.
“There are over 400 pre-selected sites volunteers can choose from, and if there isn’t a site nearby new sites can be registered. We have hundreds of fantastic volunteers who survey water voles for us every year, but given the severe decline water voles have experienced, more help is always needed.”
To access the free online training, visit www.ptes.org/watervoles
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