Habitat Heroes Help Water Voles Make a Splash Comeback at Goole Farm

Water voles could once again become a common sight in East Yorkshire after a project by The Co-operative Farms has shown signs of successfully protecting the species.

Six new water vole populations have been found in the first full survey at The Co-operative Farms Goole estate, where a team of “Habitat Heroes” was set up earlier this year to help preserve the protected mammals.

The farm at Goole worked with the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (YWT) to survey the estate’s watercourses to map any positive signs of water voles. As part of the mapping process, the farm is now staggering essential ditch management and clearance programmes, giving water voles the opportunity to relocate before their homes are cleared, and therefore improving their chance of survival.

A team of 16 specially trained volunteers, using special survey techniques and motion-sensor cameras, checked 100,089 metres of field drainage and found evidence of droppings, feeding remains and burrows. Three water voles were also spotted during the survey, which ran from April to September 2011.

The volunteers also spotted a diverse range of other wildlife during the study, including roe deer, hare, buzzards, grass snakes, kestrels, common shrew, wood mouse and water shrew.

Euan Fraser, Farm Manager at Goole, says protecting the environment and wildlife on the land it farms is very important to The Co-operative. He said: “We have worked closely with Yorkshire Wildlife Trust to get the Habitat Heroes project up and running and look at ways we can really make our land work for local wildlife.
“The fact that 6 new water vole populations have been found on the estate is amazing, along with a diverse range of other wildlife, which shows our ditch management programme is making a real difference to the environment and helping to safeguard these protected mammals.”

The Habitat Heroes project was launched earlier this year at six farms across the country, owned by The Co-operative Farms. It aims to identify where investments and adaptations can be made to improve the habitats, feeding and breeding opportunities for protected species such as otters and bats, as well as endangered species including red squirrels.

Carys Hutton, Assistant Project Officer at Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, added: “This is fantastic news. It is a great indicator that water vole populations are establishing themselves and are growing, and the project to protect their habitat is working.”

The Co-operative Group is funding the Habitat Heroes project, whilst its farming business has harnessed the support of farm managers, local environmental groups and volunteers to carry out the vital environmental work to improve and sustain the habitats of species that are indigenous to the farms.

Building on the success of its award-winning “From Farm to Fork” scheme, which has welcomed more than 65, 000 schoolchildren to its farms nationwide, The Co-operative Farms will incorporate Habitat Heroes’ activities into The Co-operative’s Green Schools Revolution to encourage schools to take part in eco-friendly activities.  Schools can register to benefit from Green Schools Revolution at www.greenschools.coop

The Co-operative Farms has been farming the land at Goole since 1917. The crops grown on the land include barley, rapeseed and sugar beet, potatoes, wheat and beetroot. The farm also produces honey.