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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.

One donation, twice the impact. From the 18th – 25th April your donation to protect ancient woodland will be doubled through the Big Give.

Home // Research grants // Our UK mammal projects // Pine marten recovery project

Pine marten recovery project

Britain's first wide-scale carnivore recovery scheme is now underway - the Pine Marten Recovery Project

Britain’s first wide scale carnivore recovery scheme is underway. Thanks to The Pine Marten Recovery Project, native pine martens from Scotland are beginning a new life in Wales, with more to come.

This project has now finished

The problem

Pine martens are one of the rarest mammals in Britain and, although they are making a comeback in Scotland, they are still perilously close to extinction in England and Wales. Once widespread throughout Britain, persecution and deforestation caused pine marten populations to decline dramatically. By 1915, they had disappeared from everywhere but north-west Scotland with smaller, scattered populations in the uplands of Wales and northern England.

Today, pine martens are doing well in Scotland. In England and Wales, however, it seems that numbers dwindled to a point where recovery was unlikely without a helping hand.

The solution

The Vincent Wildlife Trust’s Pine Marten Recovery Project is helping restore pine martens to suitable areas throughout England and Wales. Following two years of background and preparation work, a pilot reinforcement was carried out in mid-Wales. Over three years Pine martens were annually released into a large area of well-connected woodlands. These are taken from robust populations in the north of Scotland and are boosting numbers and genetic diversity, so that the endangered population in mid Wales can recover.

The return of a healthy pine marten population could provide benefits beyond the re-establishment of one of Wales’ rarest and most charismatic mammals. It should help bring more income to the local economy through ecotourism, as is the case in Scotland. Furthermore, reports from Ireland suggest that in areas where the pine marten is recovering, there have been declines in grey squirrel numbers to the benefit of native red squirrels. Such interaction could well occur in Wales and research is ongoing into this relationship.

Update

The Welsh Pine Marten Project has so far successfully relocated 39 individuals from donor sites owned by Forestry Commission Scotland. The relocated pine martens have now begun to bred with the first Welsh born kits being spotted in early summer 2016. This is a great step towards the population becoming sustainable and we are hoping to see the first kits being born to these Welsh pine martens in 2018.