Last updated: October 2021
"The Coventry Water Vole Project aims to improve Coventry’s waterways and riverside habitat for water voles." "Water voles are Britain's most severely threatened mammal. Numbers have declined by as much as 95% in Warwickshire in recent years due to threats such as habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, poisoning, and predation.” "The Coventry Water Vole Project has focused on the control of the non-native and highly invasive plant Himalayan balsam, followed by replanting some riverside areas with native 'water vole friendly' wetland plants." (Ref. 1)
Volunteers Hedge Laying on Coventry Canal (2017)
Photographer: Tim Precious-Li, retrieved 08/31/2018
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Blue infrastructure
- Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries
- Other
Key challenges
- Water management (SDG 6)
- Improvements to water quality
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Habitat and biodiversity conservation
Focus
Ecological restoration of ecosystems, Protection of natural ecosystems, Monitoring and maintenance of habitats and/or biodiversity, Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas
Project objectives
“The Coventry Water Vole Project aims to protect and improve the connectivity of water vole populations in and around Coventry. As well as monitoring for signs of the water vole’s main threat, the non-native American mink, work also focuses on improving the waterside environment that they call home.” (Ref. 2) In particular, the project will help the city to reinforce the water vole positive maintenance regime adopted by the Park Service along with all water courses and continue to publicise the situation of water voles nationally and the importance of Coventry as a key location for water vole recovery.” (Ref. 1)
Implementation activities
“The project will engage and motivate local people of all ages to help preserve their valuable waterways and water vole populations. It will create habitat improvements to support the water vole population and benefit other wildlife species that live on the natural heritage of North Warwickshire’s waterways.” (Ref. 1)
It will focus "on the control of the non-native and highly invasive plant Himalayan balsam, followed by replanting some riverside areas with native 'water vole friendly' wetland plants." (Ref. 1)
Additionally, there will be "monitoring for signs of the water vole’s main threat, the non-native American mink" (Ref. 2)
“As part of the Coventry Water Vole Project, work is being done to change mowing practices in parks near rivers, while non-native plants are being removed and replaced with native plants and wildflowers.” (Ref. 12)
“Warwickshire Wildlife Trust is training local people to help conserve their valuable local waterways and working to enhance the river and canal bank habitat to help water voles move freely, with more nesting and feeding opportunities. Where canal edges are concreted or lined with metal the Trust is creating platforms and ladders to help water voles get out to feed. This includes trialling new ‘water vole motels!’ woven from willow, hawthorn and using coir rolls (coconut husk).” (Ref. 13)
“Organisations worked together to re-naturalise a section of metal hard piling on the opposite Coventry canal bank to the towpath. They worked to install coir rolls, which re-naturalised and lined the canal bank with native bank-side and marginal vegetation.” (Ref. 2)
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity conservation:
- Protect and enhance urban habitats
- Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
- Preserve and strengthen habitat connectivity
- Reduce negative impacts and avoid the alteration/damage of ecosystem
- Protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect native species
- Undertake specific measures to protect endangered species
- Undertake specific measures to protect valued species
- Control and clean invasive alien species
- Means for conservation governance
- Raise public awareness
Biodiversity restoration:
- Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
- Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
- Restore native species
- Restore valued species
- Restore endangered species
- Clear and control invasive alien species
- Restore ecological connectivity
Main beneficiaries
- National-level government
- Local government/Municipality
- Non-government organisation/Civil Society
- Citizens or community groups
- Other
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
- Non-government organisation/civil society
- Private foundation/trust
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
- Co-management/Joint management
- Citizen science
- Other
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
A joint project between Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, the Sowe Valley Project and Coventry City Council and with invaluable support from the Canal and Rivers Trust and the Living Environment Trust. (Ref. 1)
Funding from the Environment Agency. (Ref. 1)
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Yes
(Water voles are listed as one of the priority species in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan." (Ref. 1) )
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
€50,000 - €100,000
Source(s) of funding
- Public national budget
- Other
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved water quality
- Enhanced protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems
- Green space and habitat
- Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
- Reduced biodiversity loss
- Increased protection of threatened species
- Improved prevention or control of invasive alien species
- Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Improvement in people’s connection to nature
- Education
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
Yes
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No
References
Ref. 1. Warwickshire Wildlife Trust (n.d.) Coventry Water Vole Project. Wildlife trusts. [Not available in 2020].
Ref. 2. Midlands business news (2012) Living Environment Trust helps protect wildlife. [Not available in 2020].
Ref. 3. Warwickshire GOV (2012) Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull Local Biodiversity Action Plan, Action for Wildlife, Water Vole. [Not available in 2020].
Ref. 4. Coventry City Council (2014) Coventry Green Belt Review 2014 Ecological Review. Habitat Biodiversity Audit. [Document provided].
Ref. 5. Warwickshire Wildlife Trust (n.d.) Local biodiversity action partnership. Wildlife trusts. Available at: Source link [Accessed 27 August 2020].
Ref. 6. Warwickshire Wildlife Trust (n.d.) The Wildlife Trusts’ water vole projects. Wildlife trusts. [Not available in 2020].
Ref. 7. Warwickshire Wildlife Trust (n.d.) Project report (nineveh trust funded project). Wildlife trusts. [Not available in 2020].
Ref. 8. Sanders, P. (2013) Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull Local Biodiversity Action Plan, Action for Wildlife, Water Vole, Draft Revised Plan 2014. Warwickshire Wildlife Trust. [Document Provided].
Ref. 9. Smith, M.C. (2010). Feasibility study for the reintroduction of the Water Vole (Arvicola amphibus) to the Warwick Avon. Wild Warwickshire. [Document provided].
Ref. 10. Gaskin, J.L. (2016). Water Vole Conservation and Management: Lessons From Four Case Studies. Thesis submitted to Aston University. Available at: Source link [Accessed 27 August 2020].
Ref. 11. BBC. (2017). The water vole's Warwickshire comeback. Available at: Source link [Accessed 27 August 2020].
Ref. 12. Coventry Live. (2013). New scheme to protect Coventry water voles. Available at: Source link [Accessed 27 August 2020].
Ref. 13. Warwickshire Wildlife Trust. (n.d.). Water vole recovery project. Wildlife Trusts. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 27 August 2020].
Ref. 2. Midlands business news (2012) Living Environment Trust helps protect wildlife. [Not available in 2020].
Ref. 3. Warwickshire GOV (2012) Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull Local Biodiversity Action Plan, Action for Wildlife, Water Vole. [Not available in 2020].
Ref. 4. Coventry City Council (2014) Coventry Green Belt Review 2014 Ecological Review. Habitat Biodiversity Audit. [Document provided].
Ref. 5. Warwickshire Wildlife Trust (n.d.) Local biodiversity action partnership. Wildlife trusts. Available at: Source link [Accessed 27 August 2020].
Ref. 6. Warwickshire Wildlife Trust (n.d.) The Wildlife Trusts’ water vole projects. Wildlife trusts. [Not available in 2020].
Ref. 7. Warwickshire Wildlife Trust (n.d.) Project report (nineveh trust funded project). Wildlife trusts. [Not available in 2020].
Ref. 8. Sanders, P. (2013) Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull Local Biodiversity Action Plan, Action for Wildlife, Water Vole, Draft Revised Plan 2014. Warwickshire Wildlife Trust. [Document Provided].
Ref. 9. Smith, M.C. (2010). Feasibility study for the reintroduction of the Water Vole (Arvicola amphibus) to the Warwick Avon. Wild Warwickshire. [Document provided].
Ref. 10. Gaskin, J.L. (2016). Water Vole Conservation and Management: Lessons From Four Case Studies. Thesis submitted to Aston University. Available at: Source link [Accessed 27 August 2020].
Ref. 11. BBC. (2017). The water vole's Warwickshire comeback. Available at: Source link [Accessed 27 August 2020].
Ref. 12. Coventry Live. (2013). New scheme to protect Coventry water voles. Available at: Source link [Accessed 27 August 2020].
Ref. 13. Warwickshire Wildlife Trust. (n.d.). Water vole recovery project. Wildlife Trusts. Available at: Source link [Accessed: 27 August 2020].
‘Water Vole Highway’, Coventry Canal 4 months After Installing (May 2018)
Photographer: Tim Precious-Li, retrieved 08/31/2018