Staff at Vincent Wildlife Trust have produced a range of free, downloadable resources on the work to conserve threatened mammals in Britain, Ireland and mainland Europe. Some have written books that can be bought online through NHBS.
This issue of our newsletter includes the launch of a new website for pine martens in Ireland, the latest updates on our pine marten work in Wales and northern England, ringing Barbastelles, results from this year’s research on weasels and stoats, updates from conferences on bats, martens and squirrels, forays into European mink conservation and an introduction to four new staff.
Dr Jenny MacPherson, who managed the Pine Marten Recovery Project for England and Wales, introduces readers to Britain’s small mustelid species in delightfully rich text, covering the animals’ physiology, daily lives and distribution, as well as their significance in UK history and folklore. And she shares her experiences from the forefront of the work to conserve these amazing animals.
After a close brush with extinction, the pine marten is making the headlines as it recovers its numbers in Britain and Ireland. It is time for renowned pine marten expert and enthusiast Johnny Birks to reacquaint us with this enchanting mammal.
This is an excellent little introduction and identification guide to 14 species of bat found throughout Britain and Ireland. Each species description covers roosts, food & feeding, breeding, status & distribution, and identification. Similar species are listed alongside each other.
The seventh edition features a redesigned style and updates the distribution maps for some of the species.
This report presents the results of a modelling study funded by National Parks and Wildlife Service during 2020. The study investigates the gaps in the distribution of the lesser horseshoe bat in Ireland over its entire range, incorporating datasets on land cover, roads, linear habitat features and density of artificial lighting, to produce a baseline map of potential ecological corridors to connect lesser horseshoe bat sub-populations.
The 2019 All-Ireland Squirrel and Pine Marten Survey was published in June 2020 and was made possible by members of the public who submitted their sightings of red and grey squirrels and pine martens across the island of Ireland during 2019. The project was led by NUI Galway in partnership with VWT, Ulster Wildlife, the National Biodiversity Data Centre and the Centre for Environmental Data and Recording in Northern Ireland. It was funded by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
