Small, rocky becks...
The voles around Alston are living in habitat that is about as far from the slow meandering rivers of "Wind in the Willows" as you could imagine. Small, rocky becks lead down heather hillside and rush pasture, the undercut banks providing perfect hiding places for the water voles. Water voles are usually harmed by livestock which can destroy burrow holes and graze the banks so short that the voles have no cover from predators. However, farming has never become too intensive in the Alston area and the land remains a good place for wildlife to live alongside farming activity.
If you would like to come on a training day, or would simply like more information about our high-altitude water voles, e-mail us by clicking
here 
Currently, the only thriving population of water voles we have is around Alston Moor, in the North Pennines. We have done some survey work, but this year hope to map more completely the areas where water voles are living. We will be relying on help from landowners and volunteer surveyors, and will be running a series of training days to show people what to look for.
