Rehousing the Green Park water voles

22 September 2004

A carefully managed mitigation strategy is currently underway at the Green Park in Reading, to safeguard the park's water voles prior to the construction of a wind turbine by Ecotricity next year.

A small family of water voles are being encouraged to move into a much improved ditch a few metres from their current habitat. It is hoped that in the longer term, the success of this mitigation work will encourage further colonization of the species from other areas of the park.

Until recently this isolated population has been extremely vulnerable but with large areas of Green Park developing into suitable habitat for them things are looking up for the little creatures just in time for the winter.

The work is being carried out by Prudential's Landscape Management team in line with recommendations from Wokingham District Council and Ecotricity.