Water Voles Return to Batford Springs
Water voles have been reintroduced into a nature reserve in Hertfordshire for the first time in 40 years.
Harpenden Town Council announced the release of 200 water voles into the Upper River Lea at Batford Springs.
The reintroduction project involved extensive land preparation, the creation of new ponds, and collaboration with various organisations to ensure a suitable habitat for the voles.
"We are very proud of this achievement. Batford Springs is hugely significant as it also has an incredible chalk stream."
Water voles were once commonly found in England's rivers and streams, including at Batford Springs Local Nature Reserve. However, their numbers declined significantly due to habitat loss and predation by invasive mink species.
Last year, the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust reintroduced 100 water voles to a section of the Upper River Lea on the Ayot Estate near Wheathampstead, Hertfordshire.
Batford Springs was selected for the current release after the trust installed a raft to monitor mink activity at the site. No mink were recorded for two consecutive years, indicating a safe environment for the voles to thrive.
Native vegetation such as reeds, sedges, and other aquatic plants were planted around the pond and along riverbanks to provide shelter from predators and a consistent food source essential to the water voles' diet.
The planning and preparation for the water vole reintroduction spanned three years.
"It has been a real pleasure to watch this conservation project, from its infancy to the release of our new residents, and I can't wait to see how the water voles will help the town council continue to improve the environment and local ecosystem.
Batford Springs Local Nature Reserve is not only a beautiful green space, but it is the home of hugely important habitats, and we are immensely proud of all we have achieved here."
Councillor Kirsti Wenn, Mayor of Harpenden, expressed enthusiasm about the project's progress and its positive impact on the local environment.
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