Nind Nature Reserve facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nind Nature Reserve
Water vole (Arvicola terrestris)
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Type	Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust nature reserve
Location	Nind, near Kingswood, alongside the Ozleworth Brook
Area	9.3 acres (3.8 ha)
Created	2010
Operated by	Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and landowners
Status	Open all year

Nind Nature Reserve is a special place in Gloucestershire, England. It covers about 9.3 acres (3.75 hectares) and is managed by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. This reserve used to be a trout farm, but now it's a safe home for a small, furry animal called the water vole. It's an important part of a bigger project to help water voles in the Berkeley Vale area.

The reserve and nearby areas are known as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS). This means they are very important for wildlife. The Nind Trout farm area, some wet woodland, and a part of the Ozleworth Brook are all included.

Where is Nind Nature Reserve?

This nature reserve is located near a village called Nind, close to Kingswood and Wotton-under-Edge. When it was a trout farm, it had many ponds. Now, only the old water channels remain.

The reserve is now managed specifically to help water voles. You can often see and hear these cute creatures in the water channels. The reserve officially opened in July 2010.

Protecting Water Voles

Water voles are very special animals in the UK. They are fully protected by a law called the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981. This law means that people must be very careful not to harm water voles or their homes.

Sadly, water vole numbers have been dropping. The main reasons for this include:

• Loss of habitat: Their homes along rivers and wetlands are disappearing.
• Isolated groups: Water vole families are becoming separated from each other.
• Predators: An animal called the American mink (which is not native to the UK) hunts water voles.
• River changes: Some ways rivers are managed can harm water voles.
• Draining wetlands: Important wet areas are being dried out.
• Building and farming: New buildings and intense farming methods can destroy their habitats.

Making the Reserve a Better Home

When the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust started managing the site, there were some problems. The old farm channels were "leaky," meaning water levels would drop a lot during dry times. Also, many alder trees and other plants had grown too much, making it hard for water voles to move around.

Even though there were healthy water voles living downstream in the Ozleworth Brook, they couldn't easily reach the old farm area. There was also a risk of mink hunting the voles and rats moving in.

To fix these problems, a lot of work has been done:

• Stable water levels: Old structures that held water were fixed to stop leaks.
• Clearing plants: About 80-90% of the overgrown alder trees were cut back.
• New fences: Fences were put up downstream to help connect the reserve to other water vole groups.

Many volunteers have helped with this important restoration work. There is also an ongoing project to watch over the entire area to make sure the water voles are doing well.

Other Animals at the Reserve

Besides water voles, you might also spot other interesting birds at Nind Nature Reserve. These include:

• Dippers: Birds that can walk underwater!
• Kingfishers: Brightly coloured birds that dive for fish.
• Herons: Large wading birds often seen near water.

Images for kids

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  Water vole eating

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  Water vole emerging from burrow

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  Water vole sitting on a branch in the water

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  Water vole burrows

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  Water vole swimming

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  Water vole habitat, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve

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  Typical habitat for water voles

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  Typical habitat for water voles

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  Project work for water vole protection

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  Water vole colony site