Practical Conservation

With our modern managed countryside it is important that the habitat around our rivers is managed sympathetically for otters. The otters and rivers project helps to provide a network that will cooperate in the management of this habitat. The landowners and other interested parties are able to consult with the organisations involved in the group on how best to manage this habitat. Our volunteers cannot generally assist with the practical aspect of this work, but we can help. As well as taking a general interest in the quality of the rivers and monitoring for target species, we carry out practical improvements e.g. holt building.

The Environment Agency has compiled a guide to key aspects of this habitat and what can be done to improve this. These include river channel management, tree and shrub management, fencing for natural regeneration, artificial holts and disturbance reduction.