Water Vole Project
ART are the LBAP lead partners for water vole conservation throughout Ayrshire. Water voles are the UK's most endangered mammal with numbers currently at around 3% of 1989 levels.
In Spring 2010 ART will commence a habitat improvement and reintroduction project on the Slaphouse Burn in Ayr and also at Darley Burn, Troon where water voles survived until recently. Both habitats have great potential and both are known to have supported good numbers of water voles in the past. Coincidentally both release sites are located on municipal golf courses.
Following habitat improvements and a change in riparian management, both sites will have captive bred water voles introduced. Derek Gow Consutants, the UK's leading water vole consultancy will undertake captive breeding on ART's behalf using water voles originally rescued from Lanarkshire. Young water voles will be reintroduced to the burns once the habitat offers sufficient food and cover thus giving them a good chance of survival.
Importantly, the control of mink along these burns is essential. A single mink can dramatically reduce the viability of a water vole population and therefore this species must be controlled. Apart from water voles, many bird species are targeted by mink including the once common moorhen. ART hope that by controlling mink, biodiversity in general will improve.
These project pages will be updated throughout the course of the year, detailing landmark events and progress.
Anyone interested in volunteering for the project will be most welcome whatever the amount of time they have available. Survey training will be provided which may be useful for future careers.
If you are interested in establishing a community group or finding out more about water voles in Ayrshire contact Stuart Brabbs.
If you have information about where water voles can be found in Ayrshire, please contact the Trust so that these areas can be protected within the project. Please use the form below:
