WILDLIFE lovers across Worcestershire are being encouraged to help in the fight to save the water vole.

The People’s Trust for Endangered Species is launching a new initiative to support the wild mammal, which is experiencing “a shocking drop in numbers due to the release and spread of non-native mink”.

Volunteers are needed to carry out an annual survey at nine sites across Worcestershire and surrounding areas, as part of a national water vole monitoring programme.

Emily Thomas, who is coordinating the scheme, said: “In the last couple of decades conservation groups have been working hard to try and save the much-loved water vole.

“However it’s difficult to track the overall effectiveness of this work without seeing how the national picture has changed since the 1990s.

“The national water vole monitoring programme will show us where water voles are and in what numbers, as well as where they’ve disappeared, allowing us to plan and carry out effective conservation actions that will really make a difference to water voles.”

The project, which is being delivered in partnership with The Wildlife Trusts, Natural Resources Wales, Scottish Natural Heritage, Environment Agency, Natural England and RSPB, will build on previous surveys.

The Vincent Wildlife Trust conducted two national surveys in 1989 to 1990 and 1996 to 1998 that first demonstrated the dramatic decline of water voles across Britain. The same sites will be visited in 2015, enabling conclusions to be drawn on changes over the past 17 years.

Wendy Carter, communications manager at Worcestershire Wildlife Trust, added: "It’s definitely an issue locally – water voles were abundant in Worcestershire but, since the 1970s, they’ve suffered a significant decline and are now rare. There are however a couple of small populations in Bromsgrove.

"A 2001 survey of 100 locations in the county where water voles had previously been recorded, found only approximately 10 per cent of the sites were still occupied and this number has fallen since.

"Lots of work has taken place in Bromsgrove to improve the habitat near the remaining populations.

"The trust has also been working on improving habitat on nearby nature reserves – such as Upton Warren Wetland Reserve – in the hope that the water voles can eventually expand in range and numbers.

"As it’s been almost 20 years since the last national surveys took place this new survey, driven by The People’s Trust for Endangered Species, is really welcome.

"It will really help us to understand how conservation efforts across Worcestershire and the country have been making a difference and help highlight more work that needs to be done.

"We fully support this new initiative and are keen to help water voles in Worcestershire."

To find out more about the national water vole monitoring programme visit ptes.org/watervoles