When Kenneth Grahame’s beloved novel The Wind in the Willows was first published in 1908, featuring Ratty the water vole, the UK’s water vole population was thought to be a healthy 8 million. Today, it is estimated at just 130,000 individuals.

Predation and habitat loss have had devastating impacts on water vole populations, leading to a 90% decline since the 1970s alone. Once a common sight along our waterways, the distinctive ‘plop’ sound made as they dive into the water is now rarely heard.

Sadly, it seems the water vole is joining the myths and legends of wildlife past; flocks of starlings once so numerous that they darkened the skies, clouds of moths illuminated in headlights on country roads, and hedgehogs being a common sight.

How has this happened?

• Change of land use and development over time has led to habitat loss – wetland habitats have been drained, overgrazing and mowing of riverbanks have reduced vegetation, and the canalisation of streams has reduced banks suitable for burrowing.
• Habitat has become fragmented, isolating populations. An isolated population is at greater risk of local extinction, from predation or winter pressures; the winter mortality rate for water voles is around 70%.
• Water voles are at high risk of predation, particularly from the American Mink, which has decimated populations since they were first discovered breeding wild in the 1950s. Agile swimmers and opportunistic predators, mink can enter water vole burrows and remove young.

How we are supporting water vole recovery?

Water voles are ecosystem engineers and play a role similar to beavers in maintaining wetland habitats. As they burrow into riverbanks, they help to aerate soil and improve drainage and soil quality, and their feeding helps to distribute seeds and nutrients. Water vole activities promote biodiversity and support habitats for other wildlife, benefiting a whole range of species, from wildflowers to insects and amphibians.

At Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, we launched our Water Vole Recovery Project in 2023, supported by funding from Natural England, Severn Trent and the Environment Agency. This project is working to restore and create vital wetland habitat to support the species and boost water vole numbers, with a targeted programme of mink control across 900 hectares of wetland habitat and more than 50km of rivers.

Throughout 2024 and 2025, we released a total of 214 water voles to our enclosure at Idle Valley Nature Reserve in Nottinghamshire, where the mammals have been absent for many years. Our aim is to enable water voles to spread naturally throughout the county and recolonise areas where they were previously present.

How can you help?

Projects like this one don’t operate in isolation. We need to keep up our day-to-day work on our nature reserves, working with the community and landowners, and standing up for nature, to ensure the continued success of the water vole in Nottinghamshire.

You can support us to continue protecting our vital waterways and restoring the habitats water voles require to thrive by donating to our ongoing appeal. Supporting our appeal will help us to continue work essential to this species’ recovery, such as the installation of pre-planted coir mats full of water vole-friendly vegetation, as well as habitat restoration along our waterways.