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Water Vole Ecology, Mitigation and Live-Capture Techniques
October 16, 2023 @ 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
This 1 & 1/2 day course, led by Merryl Gelling, is aimed at professionals and assumes some prior experience of water vole ecology. It will also cover field-signs of water voles and other easily-confused species and will reference scientific research on the impacts of different habitat availability and health and welfare considerations and how they feed into mitigation practice today.
On Day One we will cover legislation, different types of mitigation and when each is suitable by working through a series of case studies and discussing potential solutions to each. This will include the implications of live-capture, transportation and maintaining water voles in captivity as well as considerations for effective re-establishment of water voles. We will then undertake a site visit to identify field signs and learn how to set traps. The following day we will check and collect traps, processing any captured voles as we go. Assuming we capture water voles, participants will gain an understanding of practical animal welfare considerations and how to handle water voles safely.
This course takes place over two days, with registration at 9:00 for a 9:30 start and finishing around 5pm on the first day. The second day will start at 8am and finish late morning, depending on capture rate and questions.
The course will be run by Dr Merryl Gelling – Merryl is the Director of Spires Ecology. She has studied and worked with water vole for many years, and has completed research into the efficacy of displacement on water voles.
A certificate will be forwarded on completion of the course.
Please note accommodation and food are NOT provided.
If there is a resurgance of COVID 19 then this course will be changed to a one day online alternative. You will be updated of the change a minimum of 2 weeks before.