A 1 day course giving participants the skills to carry out water vole surveys and gain a better understanding of their behaviour, ecology and conservation.

Tutor: Derek Gow

About the tutor:

Derek is a specialist in water vole mitigation and conservation projects. He has over 25 years experience working with water voles, giving mitigation advice to developers and land owners and running a breeding program that has successfully reintroduced over 10,000 water voles across the UK. Co-author of the Water Vole Conservation Handbook and experienced trainer.

The water vole has suffered a catastrophic decline over the last century, but they are still found widely occurring across the UK, sometimes in unexpected habitat. As such, it is hugely important to be able to recognise their signs and understand their ecological requirements.

The course will cover the following topics:

• Water vole biology, ecology and field signs
• The history of water voles in Britain
• Legal status of water voles
• Factors in water vole decline
• Water vole conservation - habitat restoration and mink control
• Conservation case studies

The workshop is being held at the headquarters of the UK water vole captive breeding centre, and will include an opportunity to handle and observe water voles.

This workshop will be suitable for beginners and improvers alike.

What to bring

• Lunch, water and snacks
• Notebook
• Wellies

Directions

Google map here

There is a range of local accommodation nearby, or camping is available on the site for a small fee, please contact us for more details.

Please inform us of any medical requirements/conditions we should be aware of prior to the course.

Any problems on the day please call Derek Gow on 01409 211578.