Monitoring minks at Barking Riverside

Water Vole Update: London Wildlife Trust and Barking Riverside Ltd are working towards keeping the Barking Riverside water voles safe in the numerous ditches and creeks on site by initiating a mink monitoring programme.

Water voles are a protected species in the UK due to their rapid decline in population over the last few decades. Habitat destruction and the american mink are the main culprits of their demise in this country. The american mink in particular has been a major predator of the water vole, as the female mink are small enough to squeeze into the water voles' burrows, from where there is no escape for the water voles!

Mink monitoring is one way to reduce this decline in local areas. By setting up mink rafts in the watercourses, we can regularly check for the presence of mink in the Barking Riverside creek and ditch system. Mink believe these rafts to be burrows, and if they come across a raft they will walk through the tunnel to investigate. While wandering through the raft tunnel, they will walk over a basket of wet clay leaving their distinctive paw prints embedded in the clay. Through regular monitoring, we will find out whether mink are present in the watercourse. By this early detection, we will have a head start in controlling the mink and saving our local water vole population.

Luckily we have not had any signs of mink so far, so our water voles are safe and sound at Barking Riverside!

Barking Riverside Volunteer Group

Volunteer for Wildlife: Get fit in 2011 and help London Wildlife Trust at Barking Riverside!

From Wednesday 26^th January, London Wildlife Trust are looking for volunteers to get involved with their new fortnightly conservation workdays at Barking Riverside - the perfect opportunity to honour that New Year’s resolution to get more active, while helping to conserve local wildlife at the same time!

Barking Riverside is an extremely valuable place for wildlife, providing a home for the protected water vole, rare birds and a multitude of invertebrates including the scarce brown-banded carder bee. This area forms part of the new Barking Riverside housing development which will incorporate important habitats such as the Ripple Nature Reserve, Thames mudflats, reed bed and ditches as well as others. Volunteers will help London Wildlife Trust to manage these habitats so that Barking Riverside continues to be a hub for wildlife in the future.

These volunteer days will provide a fantastic opportunity to learn new skills, become more active and meet new friends. Volunteers will be involved in all aspects of habitat management at Barking Riverside such as helping to clear scrub, surveying for wildlife and managing grasslands. No experience is necessary as full instruction will be given on the day. Teas, coffees and biscuits will also be provided. The sessions will start at 10.30am, meeting at either the Barking Riverside Project Office (off Renwick Road) or at the Ripple Nature Reserve (Renwick Road) and will continue until 2pm. Volunteers should wear suitable clothing, footwear and bring lunch and water.

Please contact the Barking Riverside Conservation Officer to find out more information on fbarker@wildlondon.org.uk or 07971 077 095. To find out more about the Barking Riverside’s wildlife see www.wildlondon.org.uk/projects/barkingriversideconservationproject and sign up to http://barkingriversideconservation.blogspot.com/

Check out the information of the lastest session in the local press:

http://www.yellowad.co.uk/news.cfm?id=3285&headline=Back%20to%20nature

and The News have an article on page 7 on Issue 43 (5th February).