Wild Went Water Voles project

Overview

Nature-based solution

Blue infrastructure
Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries
In-land wetlands, peatlands, swamps, and moors

Key challenges

Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Habitat and biodiversity restoration
Habitat and biodiversity conservation

Focus

Management and improved protection of rivers and other blue areas, Monitoring and maintenance of habitats and/or biodiversity

Project objectives

“The project aims to secure and expand the population of water voles through improved management of water courses and the restoration of habitats. Engagement with land owners and opportunities for community involvement and training form a significant part of this project.” (Ref. 2) Also, “the work we carry out for water vole conservation will also benefit other wildlife, from amphibians like newts and frogs to insects and farmland birds. The project has wider benefits too... for example installing new way marking on sites across Featherstone to coincide with the publication of a new walks leaflet, as well as spreading the word about rivers and wetlands to as many local school children as possible”. (Ref. 1)

Implementation activities

“The project aims to secure and expand the population of water voles through improved management of water courses and the restoration of habitats. Engagement with land owners and opportunities for community involvement and training form a significant part of this project.” (Ref. 2) Also, “the work we carry out for water vole conservation will also benefit other wildlife, from amphibians like newts and frogs to insects and farmland birds. The project has wider benefits too... for example installing new way marking on sites across Featherstone to coincide with the publication of a new walks leaflet, as well as spreading the word about rivers and wetlands to as many local school children as possible”. (Ref. 1)

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
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
Means for conservation governance
Raise public awareness
Public engagement
Create and use scientific knowledge for conservation
Capacity building

Biodiversity restoration:

Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)
Restore native species
Restore endangered species
Restore ecological connectivity
Public engagement

Main beneficiaries

Local government/Municipality
Citizens or community groups
Young people and children
Other

Governance

Management set-up

Led by non-government actors

Type of initiating organisation

Private foundation/trust

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

Taskforce groups
Dissemination of information and education
Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

The Wild Went Water Vole project is run by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. (Ref. 1, 2) Funding to the project was provided from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Environment Agency. (Ref. 1)

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Unknown

... a national policy or strategy? Yes (UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP). "National Status: Water Voles are listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species" (from the local Biodiversity Action Plan). (Ref. 3) )

... a local policy or strategy? Yes (Wakefield’s local Biodiversity Action Plan. (Ref. 3) )

Financing

Total cost

Unknown

Source(s) of funding

Public national budget

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
Other

Who provided the non-financial contribution?

Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Private sector (businesses, financial institution)

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

Climate change
Strengthened capacity to address climate hazards/natural disasters
Water management and blue areas
Enhanced protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems
Green space and habitat
Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales
Reduced biodiversity loss
Increased number of species present
Increased protection of threatened species

Economic impacts

Other

Socio-cultural impacts

Social justice and cohesion
Improved social cohesion
Cultural heritage and sense of place
Improvement in people’s connection to nature
Education
Increased support for education and scientific research
Increased knowledge of locals about local nature

Type of reported impacts

Expected impacts, Achieved impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Unknown

Presence of indicators used in reporting

No evidence in public records

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

References

Ref. 1. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (n.d.) Looking Back: Wild Went Water Voles Project. West Yorkshire. Information obtained: 2017-07-12. [Website not available in 2020]
Ref. 2. Wakefield Council (2010) Wakefield Green Infrastructure Plan. Source: Source link [Accessed 29 September 2020]
Ref. 3. Wakefield Council (n.d.) Wakefield Local Biodiversity Action Plan. Wakefield District Biodiversity Group. Source: Source link [Accessed 29 September 2020]
Ref. 4. The Wildlife Trusts (n.d.) The Wildlife Trusts’ water vole projects. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. Information obtained: 2017-07-12. [Website not available in 2020]
Ref. 5. Yokshire Wildlife Trust (n.d.) Heritage Lottery Fund. Source: Source link [Accessed 29 September 2020]