The water vole is one of our best loved native mammals. Immortalised as 'Ratty' in Kenneth Graham's book, Wind in the Willows, water voles have suffered a tremendous decline in numbers and range in the past 50 years and they are a high priority for conservation action.

The Trust’s Berkeley Vale Water Vole Recovery Project operates in a focussed area of the county. Its aim is to conserve one of our last remaining populations of water voles.

Located in the Severn Vale and Cotswold edge between Wotton-under-Edge and Stonehouse, the project works with landowners and farmers to enhance and create water vole habitat.

In particular, the project is looking to connect isolated populations of water voles to increase their viability by creating good habitat along rivers, ditches and streams.

Working with partners, the Trust is keen to expand the Project to cover the other remaining water vole populations in the county and will have this as a high priority in the coming years.