Look Out for Water Voles!
Date Published: 27/05/2010
One of Britain’s most endearing and endangered mammals, the water vole, is being celebrated at the wet grazing meadows of Silvermeade alongside the River Lee, near Broxbourne on Friday 4 June. Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust (HMWT) and Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA) will be joining forces to raise awareness of water voles and their plight through a range of free activities taking place between 10am and 4pm.
Activities will take place at Broxbourne Old Mill and Meadows, Mill Lane, where children can try their hand at pond dipping, mask making, wetland bingo and badge making. One of the more unusual activities taking place will be the ‘Whose Poo?’ game, where players will attempt to match the animal to its droppings. There will also be guided walks onto Silvermeade Meadow to take a closer look for water voles.
Alison Hauser, HMWT’s Wetlands Awareness Officer said, “Water voles were once commonly seen throughout Hertfordshire, but they are now our fastest declining mammal species. Our event is a great opportunity for people to come out and see what we have done to improve the habitat for water voles at Silvermeade. Thanks to Heritage Lottery Funding (HLF), we’ve been able to make Silvermeade even better for water voles and hopefully improve your chances of spotting one.”
She continued: “Many small mammals such as water voles can be very elusive and we often spot their droppings rather than the animal itself, so we will also be looking out for signs and tracks that water voles might have left behind.”
Dawn Richardson, LVRPA’s Conservation Officer said, “This event is a great way to have some fun while raising awareness about the plight of these charismatic creatures. The wetlands of the Lee Valley are an important place for water voles and a whole host of other wildlife and works such as those funded through the HLF project are vital to ensure their future survival.”
The event is being held as part of a three year HLF Project, ‘Wetlands for Water Voles and People’, co-ordinated by HMWT. The water vole is now considered to be Britain’s fastest declining mammal with populations nationally declining by over 90% in the last 60 years. Silvermeade, a wet grazing meadow within Lee Valley Regional Park, is a valuable site for water voles in Hertfordshire. This site, along with four other wetland havens throughout Hertfordshire will benefit from the HLF grant as habitat improvements are made for water voles.
Adults are required to accompany children on all activities and waterproof footwear is advised. For more information, please contact Alison Hauser at HMWT on 01727 858901 (ext 239) or visit www.widlifetrust.org.uk/herts.
Old Mill & Meadows, off Station Road, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire EN10 6LX.
Notes for Editors
- The Wetlands for Water Voles and People Project is a partnership between the Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust, Environment Agency, British Waterways, Thames Water, Lee Valley Park Authority and Herts Biological Records Centre and is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
- Water voles are the UK’s fastest declining mammal. They are threatened by habitat loss, pollution and predation from the non-native American mink. Due to their rapid decline they have been named a UK priority species and are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. This makes is illegal to kill a water vole or to disturb or destroy their habitat.
- Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust is a charity dedicated to protecting wildlife for future generations. It safeguards and manages 43 Nature Reserves across the two counties, advises on wider countryside issues and is at the forefront of developing long-term nature conservation strategies. It has over 18,000 members and is one of 47 local Wildlife Trusts across the UK.
- Lee Valley Regional Park stretches 26 miles along the River Lee from Ware in Hertfordshire to East India Dock Basin on the Thames. The Park’s 26 miles comprise a diverse mix of heritage sites, nature reserves and open green spaces alongside world class sports facilities, attracting over 4 million visitors every year.
- LVRPA is responsible for regenerating derelict and neglected land into high quality public open spaces and wildlife habitats of ecological importance. For more information visit www.leevalleypark.org.uk
- Lee Valley Regional Park is playing an active part in the London 2012 Games. The Lee Valley White Water Centre (just north of the M25, near Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire) and the VeloPark and Hockey and Tennis Centres in Olympic Park will be owned, managed and funded by Lee Valley Regional Park in legacy. They join our existing sports facilities which include Lee Valley’s Athletics Centre, Riding Centre and Ice Centre to create a chain of sporting excellence across the region.
Press Information:
For more information, images and interviews, please contact Lee Valley Regional Park Authority Media Officers:
Jackie Tolland: 01992 709 933, (M) 07739 990 151, (E) jtolland@leevalleypark.org.uk
Michelle Rosenberg: 01992 709 830, (M) 07920 810 403, (E) mrosenberg@leevalleypark.org.uk