Cotswold Water Park Water Vole Recovery Project 2024-2027

The CWP Water Vole Recovery Project commenced in 2002 and aims to reverse the demise of the UK’s fastest declining mammal species. It has three core aims: monitoring and control of invasive, non-native American Mink; monitoring of Water Vole populations through survey of their habitats; and practical habitat enhancement work. These aims are delivered at a landscape scale through working alongside other landowners, partners, and volunteers in the Cotswold Water Park. The outcomes not only benefit Water Voles, but also a myriad of other wildlife species that contribute to making the CWP and the Upper Thames a biodiversity hotspot, as recognised by its recent designation as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).