Charity calls for help surveying water voles across the South

Thursday, 24 April 2025 06:00

A charity is appealing for volunteers in the South to help track water voles, which it calls "Britain's fastest declining mammal."

The People's Trust for Endangered Species says water vole numbers have dropped by 90% over the last 50 years, mainly due to habitat loss and predation by invasive American mink.

Emily Luck, Water Vole Officer at People’s Trust for Endangered Species explains: “Water voles hold the unfortunate title of Britain’s fastest declining mammal and are listed as Endangered on the Red List for Britain’s Mammals, reflecting the seriousness of their decline. Since the 1970s populations have plummeted by an alarming 90% because of habitat loss, fragmentation, and predation from non-native American mink.”

“Water voles desperately need our help, but thankfully people in all corners of Britain can do just that by surveying a nearby stream, river, ditch or canal between 15^th April – 15^th June and telling us what they find. The results show how populations are changing, where water voles remain and where they’ve been lost. This is crucial as it allows us to understand how we can help by restoring degraded rivers, improving connectivity between wetlands and controlling invasive American mink.”

Nida Al-Fulaij, CEO at People’s Trust for Endangered Species said: “Data from the National Water Vole Monitoring Programme not only allows conservationists at PTES and other organisations to prevent further decline, but it also plays a key role in measuring progress towards the government’s legally binding biodiversity targets set out in the Environment Act 2021. We are hopeful that in time, and alongside other organisations and with the help of volunteers, we can together bring water voles back from the brink.”

To become a water ‘vole-unteer’, or to find out more and access free training, visit www.ptes.org/watervoles.

Charity calls for help surveying water voles across the South

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