Islands and ladders for water voles

THE latest money spending scheme of Canal & River Trust is to construct islands and install ladders at Hanwell Locks for water voles to use more of the waterway.

The islands have already been installed, with the ladders at present being constructed along the flight on the Grand Union Canal, and if successful will be installed at other locks.

Nationwide

Conservationists in the Trust hope the ladders could eventually be used nationwide to help 'genetically-isolated water voles on the UK's canals to meet and mix with other populations'.

The man made islands have been planted with vegetation for voles to nest in and feed on with the intention of 'extending the mammals' habitat and encouraging them to utilise more of the waterway', but they need the ladders to reach them.

Spread along the waterway

The voles have lived happily until now at a pond adjacent to the canal, but this is not enough for the conservationists, who want them to spread along the waterway.

Leela O'Dea, CaRT Ecologist is sure the voles will use the ladders, that are made of wood, but as they project into the waterway it does not seem that the boats using the lock flight have been included in the  equation.

But by far the worst news for the waterways is that 'the conservation team would prefer to make canal banks 'soft' so voles can burrow into them'.

And thus leak...