Going Naturally Native!

Water vole numbers suffered a dramatic decline in the late 20th century and sadly that trend continues today; without intervention water voles will be lost forever.

And, in our native North East they are on the very brink of survival. So, to announce that Karol has been appointed to spearhead a National Lottery Heritage Funded education and engagement strategy aimed at winning over support for, and appreciation of, our fluffy waterside friends is, for me, a tremendous privilege.

It may be a surprising thought but helping save water voles begins well away from the riverbank. It begins in our classrooms, pubs and restaurants, on the bus, and in our living rooms. It has to begin in our community, and it begins with understanding.

By their very existence, local communities can inadvertently, positively or negatively, impact on the work of wildlife conservationists. A supportive community, appreciative of the environment can make a massive difference to an initiative like Naturally Native. Community endorsement unlocks support from politicians, organisations and funders. It whets the emotions of volunteers and garners support from both landowners and industry.

On the other hand, communities that are not engaged, are often open to misinformation. They present a clear and ever-present danger.

Outside of a loss of habitat, the greatest threat to the water vole is the ferocious, yet beautiful, nonnative American mink. These indiscriminate, mass killers were released into our river streams by well intentioned, but ill informed, animal liberation activists. Mink have gone on to wreak havoc and have decimated our indigenous river populations. From kingfishers and ducklings, to coots and water voles, nothing on the riverbank is safe.

So on the one hand, we have a simple tale of friend vs foe. But without knowing how many water voles there are, where they are located and where they are under threat, how can we know where to focus our efforts? To ensure the greatest chance of success, we need an urgent assessment of the health and strength of our water vole communities. As I mentioned, in our region the water vole is on the brink of extinction. For most people, their one chance to see a water vole is on the pages of Kenneth Grahame’s much loved classic children’s tale, The Wind in the Willows, artfully disguised as ‘Ratty’.

Whilst the mink’s trail of destruction is clearer to see, in the case of the water vole the tell-tale signs tend to be a small pile of nibbled grass, angle-cut at a tell-tale 45 degree angle, close to the water’s edge, latrines’ of rounded, cigar-shaped droppings may also be spotted or small burrows in the riverbank. Small signs to spot even for engaged volunteers looking to support a broader campaign.

So, whilst not without its challenges, for me, delivering an effective education and engagement strategy is not just a privilege, it is vital. A huge amount of resource and effort will be going into Naturally Native’s initiative.

We need to win over the hearts and minds of all our stakeholders, be they politicians, funders, members of the public or school children.

With co-ordinated backing and the support of Durham, Northumberland and Tees Valley Wildlife Trusts, along with a growing partnership of other local organisations, it can be seen that engagement, through education, is central to helping achieve Naturally Native’s ambitions.

Why should we care about animals that are about to go extinct? Why should we care about a fluffy animal most of us have never seen? Why should we be bothered about what the rest of our community thinks? These are the questions to which good answers should be given. And, this is what we at Karol aim to achieve in our education and engagement strategy. Let’s love and protect our fun-loving, fluffy, friends. Vote for the Vole!