Help protect the water vole

We have a battle on our hands

Together we have the opportunity to save water voles, birds, fish and a variety of small mammals from devastating attacks by a voracious predator accidentally introduced to the UK less than 70 years ago.

The Scottish Wildlife Trust is part of an ambitious initiative to remove the threat of mink attack in target areas across northern Scotland. 97% of the funding for this project is already secure; we need only raise a further £29,000 to reach our target. To find out more about the project, visit the Scottish Mink Initiative's website.

Water vole populations are plummeting

The water vole was once a relatively common sight along Scottish burn sides, and occupies a special place in many people’s hearts in the guise of Ratty from the children’s classic Wind in the Willows. But the survival of the water vole is under threat. It is experiencing one of the most dramatic declines of any species in the UK, with numbers dropping by 96% since 1950.

There is an urgent need to provide a safe haven for water voles (and other prey species) by stopping mink from spreading into the North West Highlands and by pushing them back out of the Cairngorms and North East Scotland.

Donate now to save the water vole

The Scottish Mink Initiative has already secured over £925,000 of funding and in-kind contributions from a range of partners and grant-makers who appreciate the severity of the problem. We are tantalisingly close to our fundraising target, and your donation will make a real difference to this ambitious project.