CONSERVATION
Naturally Native is a bold and ambitious project which will work at a truly landscape scale to reverse this trend across Durham, Northumberland, and Tees Valley. A Project Officer at each Trust will work with local landowners, communities and volunteers to control mink populations and restore degraded water vole habitat across the region. This is a last-ditch effort to save the water vole from extinction in North East England. In Durham, this means protecting the upland populations of the North Pennines, and targeting other measures on the sub-catchments of the lower Tyne, Wear, and Tees to remove mink and restore habitats, allowing water vole numbers to recover. Findings of surveys during 2019 reflect a trend that is seen in many parts of the UK; areas which offer shelter from invading mink (such as the uplands of the North Pennines) have so far managed to hold on to their water vole populations. However, the lowland populations continue to decline at an alarming rate with very few populations remaining today. The Project will create a strong partnership committed to reversing the harm done to our ecosystems by non-native species, and will save an iconic species for future generations.
What happens now? During the development year, more than 40 volunteers helped to resurvey historic water vole sites to assess the current status of the species across the region. This work will now inform restoration over the next three years. A Project Officer will be based at each of the three local Wildlife Trusts with an overall Project Manager based at Durham Wildlife Trust. Recruitment for the posts is underway and work will begin in earnest in early January.
There will be plenty of chances to get involved with both projects, with the roles of local communities and volunteers always key to Trust project delivery. For your chance to get involved visit:
www.exploreseascapes.co.uk www.durhamwt.com/naturally-native
Connect with Nature wherever re Our programme of events will bring you and your family closer to wildlife, wherever you are. Sign-up for one of our popular online seminars to learn more about the wildlife topic that interests you.
WINTER TREES
GARDEN BIRDS
SPRING FLOWERS
EARLY BUMBLE BEES
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Browse our full events programme online:
durhamwt.com/events
WILDLIFE DURHAM WINTER 2020 | 15
