People’s Trust for Endangered Species is calling for volunteers to search for sightings and signs of water voles

Wildlife charity People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) is calling for volunteers across England, Scotland and Wales to search for sightings and signs of water voles along local riverbanks, canals and other inland waterways, from 15th April – 15th June 2021.

This survey, which is part of PTES’ National Water Vole Monitoring Programme, helps conservationists find where water voles are living, how their populations are changing each year, and most importantly, where they are in most need of help.

PTES needs to build on the survey data gathered since 2015 to create a long-term picture of how water voles are faring, especially after having to cancel last year’s spring survey season. The charity hopes that the positive relationship people developed with nature during lockdown will mean the public are keen to get involved and help look for these endearing creatures, or their signs, this spring.

Henrietta Pringle, Key Species Monitoring & Data Officer at PTES, explains: “Water voles are Britain’s fastest declining mammal – a staggering 90% of the population was lost between the 1980s and 1990s alone - so they really need our help. Due to lockdown last spring, we were unable to survey water voles, meaning we now have a gap in our dataset. Finding out where water voles are is crucial to their conservation, so now more than ever we need feet on the ground to help us look for these adorable riverside residents to see how they’re faring.”