7. Eradicate mink from the Mimram

Theme: Water Quality, Habitats and Wildlife

Objective:

  • That whatever the flow level, the river and its associated habitats, including banks and floodplains, are managed to support chalk stream species

Project description

To continue to monitor mink on the Mimram and the ongoing work to create a greater awareness of their threat to water voles.  If/when mink are found to be present, their trapping and shooting is coordinated.

We are fortunate to have the endangered water vole living on stretches of the Mimram. This project involes close collaboration between landowners, the Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust’s Water Vole Officer and Friends of the Mimram.  Over the years various landowners and organisations have put a lot of effort into the control of mink along the Mimram.  This project represents a continuation of this work, by encouraging more landowners to have mink rafts to ensure the entire length of river is monitored.  Where necessary, the monitoring of these rafts is being done by a team of volunteers.

Mink rafts are a wooden, floating raft containing a tunnel and a tray of damp clay. Mink will investigate this tunnel and leave their footprints on the clay. When signs of mink are detected, this clay tray can be replaced with a humane trap.

The regular monitoring helps focus the project on 'hotspots' for mink. The information is also used to publicise the issue through offline media and social networks.

Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust are providing the expertise and the mink rafts, and Friends of the Mimram are assisting with data and monitoring coordination, volunteer recruitment and publicity.  Thanks to those landowners who give permission for mink rafts to be sited on their land, the Mimram valley is now well covered by regularly monitored rafts.

Project lead: Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust
Project partners: Friends of the Mimram, landowners
Funding source: HMWT
Project start: Started
Contact for more information: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Eradicate mink from the Mimram

Design by LTD Design Consultants and build by Garganey Consulting.