Did you know that 2008 is the 100^th anniversary of that wonderful children’s book, ‘Wind in the Willows’?

For those of you who recollect the classic story you will remember characters such as Mr. Toad of Toad Hall, Mr. Badger, Mole and also ‘Ratty’ who was actually a European Water Vole.

In addition to 2008 being the anniversary of the book, it is also the year that the Water Vole has been finally provided full legal protection. Six years after a change in the law was first recommended, ‘Ratty’ is finally to receive full protection from the law, under new proposals announced today by Defra.

Photo by Aphid Twix, source Flikr.

Water Voles have been threatened due to habitat loss and predation by American mink. Back in 1990 there were seven million water voles in the UK.  By 1998 numbers had crashed to less than a million and they have since continued to fall.

I am delighted to hear that ‘Ratty’ is finally being provided the legal support to be protected. In addition to the new proposal, all across the UK organisations such as the Wildlife Trust are embarking on river restoration projects which will help to create suitable habitats for water voles and other threatened riparian mammals such as Otters. Projects include the Trent Holmes in Nottinghamshire, the Itchen Navigation in Hampshire, River Eden in Cumbria.

For some fantastic footage of water voles check out a video created by John Keeling for Derbyshire Wildlife Trust.

If you would like to help protect ‘Ratty’ then check out Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust’s Adopt A Species scheme.