In-person;
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.
The next training event will take place on the 16th to 17th of October 2023. Book your tickets here.
Online;
Please note the ‘classroom’ side of this course is now online, we are investigating running the in-person side of this course late 2022 or in 2023.
This course, led by Merryl Gelling, is aimed at professionals, and assumes some prior experience of water vole ecology. The course will cover field-signs of water voles and other easily-confused species, legislation, different types of mitigation and when each is suitable by working through a series of case studies and discussing potential solutions to each. All discussions will reference scientific research and how it feeds into mitigation practice today.
Finally, we will discuss the implications of live-capture, transportation and maintaining water voles in captivity as well as considerations for effective re-establishment of water voles, including habitat requirements, mink control and welfare considerations of water voles.
The course will be run by Dr Merryl Gelling – Merryl is the Director of Spires Ecology and sits on the Mammal Society Council. She has studied and worked with water voles for over twenty years, recently completed research into the efficacy of displacement on water voles.
A CPD certificate will be sent after the course.
This course will be held on Zoom and the ticket prices will reflect the change in circumstances.
The next training event will take place on the 24th of April 2023. Book your tickets here.
For terms and booking conditions please click here.
If you have any queries please contact training@themammalsociety.org.