Home PageWhere's Ratty?
Intensifying agriculture over the past 50 years has destroyed much of the water voles' bank-side habitat. Small, isolated populations are now extremely vulnerable to further threats such as predation by North American mink, or to the effects of floods and droughts. Cumbrian water voles have suffered particularly severe losses and are in danger of becoming extinct in the county. A joint venture between Cumbria Wildlife Trust and Eden Rivers Trust aims to reverse this decline through the work of the Cumbria Water Vole Project. Ratty needs your help Help us to help the water vole by taking part in our "Spot the Plop!" campaign - tell us if you've heard (or seen) a water vole using our on-line reporting form and your record will then appear on our interactive map - check it out for the latest survey and distribution information. Become a water vole surveyor by attending a training day and searching your local waterways - contact us for current training dates. Donate to the Water Vole Project - everything you give will go straight to practical projects to help water voles.
You can download Adobe Acrobat Reader by following the link below Water Vole
Project Officer: Jenny Holden
|
 
The Cumbria Water Vole Project is a partnership project between Cumbria Wildlife Trust and the Eden Rivers Trust. We work with a range of other local and national organisations, and also have recently received funding from the Local Heritage Initiative.
The Local Heritage Initiative (LHI) helps local groups to investigate, explain, and care for their local landscape, landmarks, traditions and culture. The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) provides the grant but the scheme is a partnership, administered by the Countryside Agency with additional funding from Nationwide Building Society. |
The water vole, also known as the water rat, is our largest vole, but also our most endangered. Beloved to many as "Ratty" from Kenneth Grahame's Wind in the Willows, the water vole is now Britain's fastest declining mammal.
