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- - People’s Trust for Endangered Species was set up in 1977 to save our wildlife. We are governed by a board of volunteer trustees and our team of staff are passionate about protecting endangered species and places.
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Wildlife
- Close
- - We protect wildlife in Britain and around the world by bringing our most threatened species back from the brink of extinction. We do this through ground-breaking research, practical conservation and education, all with the help of our supporters.
Wild places
- Close
- - Some habitats contain such a richness of life that we need to protect them at all odds. We are working to preserve ancient woodlands, orchards and wood pastures and parklands, as well as the countless species they support.
What we do
- Close
- - Everything we do is based on scientific evidence. We gather this through surveys, which you can take part in, and by awarding research grants to the most inspiring scientists worldwide. This evidence guides our conservation efforts and is shared through our events and publications.
Who we are
- Close
- - People’s Trust for Endangered Species was set up in 1977 to save our wildlife. We are governed by a board of volunteer trustees and our team of staff are passionate about protecting endangered species and places.
Success stories
- Close
- - We strive to bring our most threatened species in the UK and around the world back from the brink of extinction. Our successes come from ground-breaking research, practical conservation and education, all with the help of our supporters.
Get involved
- Close
- - There are so many ways you can help save endangered species. Fancy taking part in a survey, joining us on a wildlife event or becoming a regular supporter?
Shop
- Close
- - Support our work in our shop with a range of charity gifts, home-ware, cards and more. 100% of the profits go directly to help wildlife both in the UK an overseas.
Donate
- Close
- - There is nothing natural about the alarming rate at which we are losing animals and their homes. It is absolutely avoidable. We can stop the loss of our wildlife – but we need your support. You can act now by choosing to give to our cause. Thank you.

Home // Key species and habitats // Water voles // How we’re helping water voles

How we’re helping water voles

Since 1997, we’ve funded 46 water vole projects. We’ve investigated what helps water voles to seek refuge from American mink. We discovered the best ways of restoring good habitat and we have recently studied the effects of waterway maintenance on local populations of water voles.

We manage the national monitoring programme for water voles, collating the survey information collected by our tireless volunteers and hundreds of others across England, Wales and Scotland. Initial signs from the monitoring programme give us some cause for hope but there is much more to be done if we are to better understand the threats facing Britain’s water voles and help to protect them.

Currently, we are studying whether environmental DNA (eNDA) can be successfully used to monitor water voles and we are funding a project that maps water vole strongholds across the UK.

Monitoring water voles across the UK – we need you!

We work with many other people nationwide to ensure we’re doing the best we can to save this species from extinction. We know what needs to be done, but we need to monitor our progress properly to be sure of success and to act where it’s needed. We can’t do this without you.

With the help of our UK Water Vole Steering Group partners the Wildlife Trusts, Natural Resources Wales, RSPB, Scottish Natural Heritage, Environment Agency and Natural England, we set up the National Water Vole Monitoring Programme (NWVMP) in 2015.

We regularly survey sites across the UK and are creating a water vole conservation community. With more of us working together our impact can be even more effective.

We need to increase our army of volunteers who dedicate some of their free time to search for signs of water vole presence across England, Wales and Scotland.

You’ll need to do a survey once a year at a site near you. No experience is required, so long as you learn how to identify field signs and follow our guidelines.

If you already regularly survey water voles, you can add those site details too.

If you’re interested in helping water voles, find out more and register to take part here!