Member Article

Come and play hide and seek with Ratty

The Restoring Ratty Water Vole Reintroduction Project, delivered by Northumberland Wildlife Trust, Forestry Commission and Tyne Rivers Trust, will this month, open its first Ratty Hide - and it has all been made possible thanks to the donation of an old bird hide by Northumbrian Water. The Project is supported by National Lottery players through a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The donated hide was restored in one of the Forestry Commission’s workshops in Kielder Forest by a team of fantastic multi-skilled volunteers before moving it to the viewing site. Measuring 18x8 feet, the hide situated on the Forest Drive, above a pond, in Kielder Water & Forest Park, will be open at the end of April. Speaking about the new Ratty Hide, Kelly Hollings, Restoring Ratty Project Officer said: “Our project would be nowhere near as successful as it is without the help and support of all our partners and supporters. “I’d like to say a massive thank you to Northumbrian Water for donating the hide, to the Forestry Commission England for use of its workshops and to the wonderful team of volunteers who are always willing to help in whichever way they can.” The ‘Ratty’ team is looking forward to visitors sitting in the new hide in the hope of catching a glimpse of any of the water voles which were released into the pond last June, and which frequent the area as their prints and droppings around the pond have proved. Please note that anybody visiting the hide by car needs to be aware that there is a charge for Forest Drive, which is closed until May.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Northumberland Wildlife Trust .