National Trust Plans for local re-introduction of Water Vole

Speaker: Dave Elliott (Lead Ranger South Downs West, National Trust)

People who have lived for many decades close to the Wey stream near Haslemere remember when Water Voles were a common sight. Since the 1990s, the population nationally has declined by 90%, with extinction in our area. Predation by escaped American Mink is thought to be to blame, and these are also damaging to birds and other wildlife. David Elliot described the project intended to reverse this lamentable situation, targeting the whole of the River Wey catchment but especially the part upstream from Guildford. Many agencies have been involved, with David’s National Trust team taking the lead locally.

The first stage was humane culling of Mink: 87 traps were used, and more than 100 Mink taken. After a period of time with no Mink detected, it was thought safe to re-introduce Water Voles, using captive-bred animals. In autumn 2025, nearly 200 Water Voles were released in suitable sites, cognisant of their preference from grassy stream banks, and territories of 40m stream length. The efficacy of the programme will be assessed in spring 2026, with more captive-bred voles available for release if necessary.

David explained that, as with Beavers, Water Voles are “ecosystem engineers”: their streamside grazing enhances the habitat for native plants and insects. Their return will be one component of recovery from an onslaught of damage that our watercourses suffer from agricultural runoff, sewage release, invasive species, artificial obstructions and habitat fragmentation.

The applause at the end was not just an appreciation of an excellent presentation, but for the huge amount of hard work and commitment involved in the project.