SNHi Secondary School Activities

Water Vole

Activity 8 - Presentation on water vole conservation for a Scottish conference

 

Background for teachers

According to the Mammal Society, the water vole, which was once widespread and common, is now probably the UK’s most rapidly declining mammal. Recently it has been found to be more widespread in the Highlands than previously thought. Although small, these populations of the species are potentially important as populations further south are dwindling fast.

Curriculum

Science Standard Grade

A Study of Environments - Conservation: protecting endangered species

Managing Environmental Resources Intermediate 1

Effects of human activity on the local environment

Managing Environmental Resources Intermediate 2

Impact of human activities on ecosystems – endangered species; conservation.

Biology Higher

Control and Regulation: the need to monitor wild populations; protection and conservation of endangered species; control of pest species

Curriculum for Excellence

This activity will help pupils achieve the four capacities of learning by:

• encouraging enthusiasm and motivation for learning;
• encouraging openness to new thinking and ideas;
• use of literacy skills;
• use of technology for learning;
• thinking creatively and independently;
• making reasoned evaluations;
• evaluating environmental issues;
• applying critical thinking in new contexts, and
• creating and developing.

Ages

11-18 years

Procedure

• Ask pupils to imagine that they have been given a position to research water vole conservation in Scotland. Next week there will be a major conference on conservation issues surrounding Scotland’s most threatened wildlife species. They have been asked to present and explain data on the water vole at the conference. Pupils should first research the information using the websites below and any other websites or reports that may be available to them.
• Encourage pupils to include some material from the Biodiversity stories website (see below) which includes some fascinating information on water voles.
• Each pupil should develop their own presentations as a 15-20 minute speech illustrated by OHPs, handouts or as a PowerPoint depending on pupil skills and the equipment available.
• Pupils should highlight:
• the problem of American mink as an exotic species;
• other threats facing the water vole;
• the potential importance of water vole populations in the Scottish Highlands; and
• management needed for water vole conservation.
• Distribution maps for water vole and American mink are available on the National Biodiversity Network gateway website. By investigating maps for different dates, for example 1980, 1990, 1998 and the current year, pupils should be able to see the change in water vole and American mink populations.

Websites

• National Biodiversity Network gateway
  www.searchnbn.net

Water vole
• www.biodiversitystories.co.uk/
  www.snh.org.uk/publications/on-line/wildlife/voles/default.asp
  www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/species/watervole.pdf
  www.snh.org.uk/speciesactionframework/saf-watervole.asp(for 16-18 year olds)

American mink
• www.snh.org.uk/trends/trends_notes/pdf/Introduced%20species/American%20mink.pdf
  www.arkive.org/species/ARK/mammals/Mustela_vison/
  www.snh.org.uk/speciesactionframework/saf-americanmink.asp (for 16-18 year olds)

Other resources

• Conserving the water vole free leaflet
  www.snh.org.uk/pubs/results.asp?q=water+vole&searchdest=2 (14-18 years)