Why we released 114 water rats in this farmer’s field

In this video we want to show you why experts think these voles are so important for the wetland ecosystem, tell you about what we can do to help them come back and of course show you our project!
🌳 If you think this project is worth supporting then be sure to check out the Mossy Earth Membership: mossy.earth/
🍃🙋‍♂️ Check out Rob's channel: / leavecurious
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/ @kernowconservation5080
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⏱️TIMESTAMPS⏱️
00:00 Intro
00:56 Ecology
03:51 History
06:01 Our Project
🧐 ABOUT THIS VIDEO
===============================
This small mammal is a crucial piece of the wetland ecosystem and it punches well above its weight as it is both a keystone species and an ecosystem engineer with many other wetland species relying on the water vole for their survival.
It was a once common sight along waterways in the UK numbering in the millions but unfortunately, the species has declined significantly in the last 20 years and this is why we have decided to reintroduce them in Cornwall this summer!
Find out more on our project page here: www.mossy.earth/projects/wate...

[@MossyEarth]

🌲 If you would like to support our rewilding projects by becoming a member you learn all about them here: www.mossy.earth Every single member is essential and it is ultimately what makes our work possible. - Cheers, Tom Berry

[@TheNightshadePrince]

Will you guys do projects in the American rust belt? I'm originally from Ohio and corporations destroyed the rust belt and then moved their factories overseas in the second half of the 20th century. My home state had a river of fire on multiple occasions. The biggest ecological threat currently to American wildlife is industrial farming and cars now but the damage done from industrialization is unfathomable. :)

[@wpjohn91]

Could you also add UK mesurements. I dont know how long cm are but i do know feet and inches

[@TheNightshadePrince]

@@wpjohn91 I second that as an American! The metric system is a foreign language to us Americans. :)

[@ADDeeJay]

There are 200k invasive beavers destroying Tierra del Fuego. The western US is stricken with drought, due to loss of natural habitat and wetlands, after 200m beavers were eradicated during the Fur Rush to make hats. We can fix two problems at the same time by restoring the native N. American beaver population, using the animals destroying Argentina. It's such a problem, Argentina would probably pay the US to take them back. I'm a botanist here in Southern California, there is nothing we could do that would have a greater impact on the state, than repatriating the beavers and letting them restore our riparian habitats. Not only would it create a natural carbon sink, it would also serve as a break for wildfires, and will stifle drought. It would repair the basis of the food chain, slowing down water and allowing algae to cling to rocks. I can't stress enough the importance of this.

[@philroberts7238]

@@TheNightshadePrince 1 inch = 2.54 cm

[@unstoppableExodia]

In Australia we have native water rats and they’re an important species to our wetlands. And they’re clever too. They figured out a way to hunt and eat cane toads without being poisoned. Their survival could prove pivotal in the battle to keep cane toads numbers in check

[@katfiishn]

Rakali!!!

[@unstoppableExodia]

@@katfiishn yes, that’s the one

[@egrace3738]

Oh! I wish I was still teaching science...we actually discuss in detail the cane toad problem in Australia. It would have been good to add this information 😀. Thanks for sharing this

[@bartbullock9742]

Thank God y'all found something that could take care of that cane toad, bloody hell.

[@Jayjay-vh1jg]

Oh wow i never knew they ate cane toads thats awesome

[@Spiracle]

Such an underappreciated yet important species in the UK, many of our waterways are seriously suffering in their absence. I'm looking forward to more updates on this one!

[@MossyEarth]

So happy to see them back home!- Cheers, Tom Berry

[@danielsun6302]

1 second in "so we decided to release 197 water rats on this property right here." 8 seconds in "I know what you must be thinking, and before you decide we've completely lost our marbles," I'm going to have to stop right there. the title says 114 water rats and the video says 197, and then you want me to consider you are not crazy when you cant even get the title right. Nah you guys definitely lost your marbles.

[@anettaboran1889]

F U

[@c0niferal]

@@danielsun6302 you finish the vid? Title refers to how many they'd released so far

[@cengkirwaskita8511]

@@danielsun6302 anti environmentalists people will literally say the most random things ever

[@LeaveCurious]

I loved filming & presenting this project! What a pleasure to see the reintroduction of these voles and brilliant work from the Mossy Earth team on putting this all together!

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you Rob! Once again it was a pleasure to work with you! Well done! Cheers, Tom Berry

[@solarpunkalana]

Great job with the filming Rob!

[@thatundeadlegacy2985]

Oh hey i just watched your video.

[@LeaveCurious]

@@thatundeadlegacy2985 ahh awesome!

[@LeaveCurious]

@@solarpunkalana thank you Alana :)

[@jakegolding8388]

I did a double take when I heard you were planting Buckthorn. I grew up near Chicago and was involved in habitat restoration work through the forest preserve and a school club. I spent many weekends cutting down buckthorn to make room for the native maples and oak trees and forest floor species. While it’s native to the UK, Buckthorn has become invasive in the US and chokes out understory growth. It’s also very hard to get rid of because it grows back so vigorously. Glad to hear about more creative restoration and re-introduction projects ❤

[@MossyEarth]

Very interesting! Thank you for sharing. - Cheers, Duarte

[@Scammers-Suck]

Reminds me of "scotch broom" was told its work for my grandkids to get them removed as theyre seeds stay good for around 80 years and only die completely from lack of sunlight, which a garbage bag can do with ease, another method is pulling it out by the roots, or to remove your problems with the plant forever you burn all of it. grows real deep in the ground so its a pain in anyones a**

[@timozkurt7944]

It's nice to know they're making a comeback in kernow, can imagine they're busily burrowing away as we speak.

[@MossyEarth]

I think they might be Pole Vole-ting over lake - Cheers, Tom Berry

[@solarpunkalana]

They are indeed! We have seen some of their burrows :)

[@justapillow2443]

@@MossyEarth Omg 😐🤦

[@zolfyl8816]

I was born in Devon just next to the Cornish border,,,,,there was a mink farm nearby,animal activists broke into it and tried to free them into the wild,some did escape,if only they knew what damage they did

[@AllTheArtsy]

Well-meaning but ignorant animal activism is very unfortunate indeed.

[@austingode]

Should never have mink farms

[@zolfyl8816]

@@austingode True Rob,the guy sold up from the uk in the 90s to restart in holland,

[@512TheWolf512]

@@AllTheArtsy the road to hell is paved with good intentions

[@ContactsNfilters]

What damage do the mink do?

[@matthewdavies5875]

Great job everyone. What an industrious little creature. I can't wait for more updates.

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you! Same here, more to come! - Cheers, Tom Berry

[@GeorgeTheDinoGuy]

When it’s water vole breeding season the river is completely protected in my area! I’ve even filmed these elusive guys. Such cool semi aquatic mammals!

[@LeaveCurious]

Awesome George!

[@melissabeckham6917]

I'm a brand new member and so very happy to start learning about ME's projects. Thank YOU, the team, for being smart, energetic, and heroic.

[@MossyEarth]

Welcome to the family! Thank you so much for your support - Cheers, Tom Berry

[@danielsun6302]

1 second in "so we decided to release 197 water rats on this property right here." 8 seconds in "I know what you must be thinking, and before you decide we've completely lost our marbles," I'm going to have to stop right there. the title says 114 water rats and the video says 197, and then you want me to consider you are not crazy when you cant even get the title right. Nah you guys definitely lost your marbles.

[@solarpunkalana]

It was so great working with you guys on this project! Thank you for the plug! :)

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you! It was a pleasure to work with you on this project - Cheers, Tom Berry

[@solarpunkalana]

Also to clarify we aren't just a group of students, but we do have 2/3 student directors (myself included) and many student volunteers! We also aim to include the local non-student Cornish community in all of our projects.

[@MrCaboose]

Awesome! I did my undergraduate dissertation on water vole management in West Midlands and it's really underfunded and the volunteer effort was really affected by COVID. It's so nice to see such an important species get the conversation effort it so desperately needs. Thanks for this!

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you for the kind words! - Cheers, Duarte

[@iansmith6086]

The reason I'm responding is because of this stupid title. They get exterminated because they're misidentified as rats and now we have someone actually calling them rats. Ffs

[@jamessparkman6604]

@@MossyEarth I have some kind words I thought my work, the more endangered species, get on the lease concert list and rebound from extinction. The sooner we can get on to extracting DNA from those formerly endangered species and with a little bit of time and technology we can resurrect some of the extinct species to whom they are related, and instead of working against each other past and present will be working alongside each other so that we know species will ever have to go extinct a second time or ever again.

[@TAKAT0NIC]

Thank you so much for helping not only save this lovely little species but also for spreading awareness about the importance of rodents in their ecosystems. So often they are overlooked or considered pests and we're losing so many incredible species so quickly so I thank you and all the wonderful people and organisations in this project from the bottom of my heart.

[@majorbruster5916]

I love voles. I used to be a research technician and did a lot of fieldwork on small mammals, including bank voles and field voles. When I was still at school, I used to see water voles all the time in the many ditches and ponds around my house, but in over 20 years of fieldwork, angling, surveys and even scuba diving in lakes and rivers I never saw one. Great to know that there are people out there who are working to reintroduce the species. Well done!

[@TheTdZt]

I love everything about this project! Well done team 👏

[@MossyEarth]

Can't wait for more reintroductions in the spring! - Cheers, Tom Berry

[@kenyonbissett3512]

For years one of my favorite things to do was kayak across the river to the protected wetlands across from my community. The kayak could float in small waterways of a depth of 6-8 in of water. If I went in slowly, quietly frequently I could get within 18 in of wildlife. I was probably the first human there in 100+ years, maybe longer. It was a wonderful experience I treasure.

[@kenyonbissett3512]

@KZbin Censorship Can Lick My Taint what a strange thing to write......

[@Jonas-yf9ln]

I‘m thankful this was RATified 😌

[@MossyEarth]

Seriously under-rat-ed species - Cheers, Tom Berry

[@indyreno2933]

They're voles not rats, voles and rats are not related, voles are part of the hamster family, while true rats are in the families Sigmodontidae and Muridae.

[@ehombane]

@@indyreno2933 And this is why the title is clickbait. But this is the exception. It does not bother me that it is :)

[@majorbruster5916]

Ahem! Err, this way sir. I'm sorry your usual therapist isn't here today, she's been called to Downing Street.

[@sonyasever7625]

@@indyreno2933 it's literally said in the video.

[@DuartedeZ]

I love this project! Well done Hannah, Alana and the team at Kernow! Also great job Rob and Toms, thank you for your effort on this video :)

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you Duarte! It was a pleasure to edit this video, I can't wait to see how the rest of this reintroduction goes! Cheers, Tom Berry

[@solarpunkalana]

Thank you Duarte!

[@PaulCoxC]

Love this project. The sort of thing that often struggles to get funding but is really important and gives such good return for the investment. Well done all those involved.

[@skathwoelya2935]

It's fantastic to find you helping Cornwall's wildlife. Proud to be a member. Mer ras dhywgh hwi oll!

[@Kerem-uw2ov]

You guys doing a very very important work around the world. Giving us hope that nature will be preserved at all costs

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you Kerem! That means a lot to us :) - Cheers, Duarte

[@Fflintiii]

I am from germany but live in cornwall. You guys to an amazing job with all your projects!

[@solarpunkalana]

Hi Fflint! If you want to volunteer on this site/around this project with us, you can check out Kernow Conservation !

[@Fflintiii]

@@solarpunkalana Hi Alana, Oh wow thanks for that offer I would definitely love too and my partner as well. I just send a message over the contact us form :) Thanks a lot.

[@rudolphjansevanvuuren72]

I was under the impression that the water rat was a pest, I watched KZbin videos where they used tame minks to kill the water rats. After watching this video I realized how ignorant one can be by not further investigation on some matters. Thank you for this

[@elizabethb8789]

They were probably hunting nutria not water voles. Nutria have become a persistent and incredibly damaging invasive species in the US. Trained minx and sometimes dogs are used to hunt them.

[@jeffreysokal7264]

Awesome work you do and to get to do it in such a wonderful place as the British countryside is equally awesome. Only wish we had such beautiful landscapes this side of the pond (US).

[@LouisJamesMallison]

I've been watching Mossy Earth vids for a while now and finally just became a member! I also shared this video in the discussion board for the Wetlands Ecology class I'm taking. I'm personally fascinated by Sphagnum mosses, their role as keystone species of their ecosystems and their microbiomes - I'm currently working on a project about symbiotic nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria that live within the cells of Sphagnum. Peatlands where Sphagnum live tend to be nutrient poor because the acidity and waterlogged conditions prevent organic matter from decaying so carbon gets densely sequestered as peat. But the cyanobacteria are a missing link in nutrient cycling as they fix atmospheric nitrogen and provide it to the Sphagnum which can grow and sequester the carbon. I hope to be out there helping with rewilding and reintroduction soon just like you guys! Thanks for all the good work Mossy Earth!

[@iseriver3982]

Can't wait until I hear the 'plop' in my local rivers.

[@MossyEarth]

Same here!!! - Cheers, Tom Berry

[@christinecollins6389]

Brilliant video about a well organised re introduction I wish all involved and the voles every success

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you Christine! - Cheers, Duarte

[@edward7366]

Very interesting how something so little has such a big impact

[@XavierAway]

Does it though? He doesn’t speak of the success or failure of reintroduction attempts, or how the remaining mink population will hamper them.

[@shaunmckellar7011]

well done guys, keep up the good work, its much needed.

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you Shaun! - Cheers, Duarte

[@louisamccabeart418]

Great video. I suggest you show more of the water rats being let out of their cages. Really fun and delightful.

[@keenoled]

So glad I decided to become a member!

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you Lisa for your trust and for enabling us to do this work! It is really appreciated by everyone in the team that works hard on these projects :) - Cheers, Duarte

[@jesseibarra5539]

And you inspire me to start doing something here in San Antonio Texas in America we have beautiful streams and stuff but we need some help in certain areas thank you for doing what you do God bless you

[@aliannarodriguez1581]

While I don’t suppose the Riverwalk is entirely natural, it does show how the river can support a whole other world of abundant life in an otherwise dry environment. Perhaps it can inspire more natural projects where you are.

[@CrimeVid]

I love these little guys, I used to watch them all the time when walking and fishing, was very sad they declined. In my area,one of the main reasons for their decline was the “canalisation” of the river Mole and other small tributaries to the Thames. The idea was to get the water off the land as fast as possible, not a good idea unless you are a house builder who likes building on flood plains.

[@raraavis7782]

Very cool. Wasn't familiar with this animal. I looked it up and it seems, that in my neck of the woods (Germany, Cologne area), we only have the land dwelling Arvicola Schermann, not the river dwelling Arvicola amphibius. It's always fascinating and scary at the same time, how the addition or removal of a single species can mess up a whole eco system. Or, hopefully, improve it, in this case.

[@stellangios]

Such a cool little animal I'd never heard of before this channel. Nice to see Rob again too, I've really enjoyed Leave Curious since y'all recommended it 👍

[@MossyEarth]

You will be seeing a lot more of him as we do a lot of things together these days :) - Cheers, Duarte

[@thomasfields5198]

So happy for your channel’s growth. I can only imagine how much it helps with sustainment/expansion of your efforts; it’s so awesome! KEEP IT UP🤘

[@MossyEarth]

It has been crucial! We have more than tripled our monthly rewilding budgets in a short notice. This will go a long way in increasing our impact! We are now supper busy hiring more biologists and plotting some exciting projects for 2023 :) - Cheers, Duarte

[@Anarchy4Angels]

I grew up watching/reading The Wind In The Willows but didn't see any of the animals until I was an adult. Only seen a water vole once though, Ratty is extinct in the area where I live 😢

[@WelfareChrist]

Kinda crazy that such a big rodent only has a five month lifespan out in the wild. I love the push to getting people to appreciate the important roles that these animals play in the wild, so many people just lump all small rodents in with rats and of course you can see why they look very similar.

[@graces5634]

Some are fans of beavers. Some are fans of voles. Now I’m a fan of both❤

[@Thomas201101]

Fantastic project and great presentation! Proud to be a mossy earth member.

[@derRichterin]

Like usual, I love your content and your activities outside making earth a better place! Keep it up. Proud to be a part of it ;)

[@papaya8634]

I have literally never heard of this species before. Thanks for the informative video! Also comment for the algorithm :D

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it - Cheers, Tom Berry

[@bigbirdwithbigbread6067]

The transperency of mossy earth projects is actually amazing! Great work guys!

[@calebgillett6091]

I love what you guys do and wish I could be out helping out. You guys are living my dream helping the planet and documenting it

[@darkstar18498]

I am glad you are doing this work. Keep it up

[@remliqa]

I would like to hear about the previous attempt to reintroduce them and their success(or failure ) stories.

[@bencollyer2296]

The stream by my mums place goes through an ancient section of woodland and it’s lovely to look out for them occasionally I’ll see one swimming across the water and into a hole on the edge of the stream precious little animals

[@pjal7803]

Great project, keep up the good work!

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you! We are really happy to see Water voles back in Cornwall! Cheers, Tom Berry

[@stephenbrand5661]

That part about how their burrowing helps to promote the growth of beneficial microbes in the soil is amazing, and it reminds me of how important bacteria are to the rest of life on Earth. We have muskrats where I live in North America, and we also have beavers. Since muskrats just appear to be smaller beavers with rat tails, I never appreciated their place in our ecosystem like I do now after learning about your water voles!

[@kassiapencek6185]

👏👏👏💚 wonderful job!!!! Great to learn the difference in species. Great even eye level footage! Thank you for your honorable work. You are making the difference!!!!!!!

[@Jelisson_Gregorov]

We have something alike here in Brazil. We have a species of water rat here in my region and we find them in the rivers or lakes and they love to eat sugar cane. The other especies we have here is the "capivara". You can call it a giant water rat.

[@RedMapleCanada]

Wow, very interesting, I enjoyed listening and learning about this species I knew so little about. Thank you!

[@MossyEarth]

Glad you enjoyed the video and the project :) - Cheers, Duarte

[@VINOTHKUMARSS]

The project sounds great for Ecological Restoration 😍 Congrats to the Team 👍

[@iainrenton7527]

I used to see loads of Water Voles in my local river, the Weaver. Then the Mink came in and now there are none. The last Mink I have seen was 4 years ago. It might be worth trying to establish them here.

[@lunipan]

keep it up, so nice to see positive changes

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you Lunipan! - Cheers, Duarte

[@dharmesh3660]

Thanks for the video. It was super interesting and I love everything about mossy earth and how we can see where the money goes.

[@mrpickle6290]

Love it 🙌🙌

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you!!

[@shadetreader]

Time for a picnic with Mole and a cozy visit with Badger ❤

[@thorium222]

Would have like to learn more about the mink situation in the UK and how sustainable this is.

[@Bob_Adkins]

Since mink are so intelligent and resourceful and have a wide variety of prey, I don't foresee any large crashes in mink populations.

[@iainmackenzieUK]

Thanks for keeping us updated really great work :)

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you for all the support :) Glad you enjoyed the video! - Cheers, Duarte

[@Tymdek]

Great video! Just so you know: I noticed at 2:01 where you talk about tadpoles, you show small catfishes.

[@felixmussik7203]

Thank you as always for the video

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you Felix! - Cheers, Duarte

[@inferbee2572]

WELL WELL WELL DONE !!! Awesome to see a group doing something about Nature, instead of just talking about it

[@phillipcrowther9499]

I have enjoyed watching all the Mossy Earth project videos - you guys are doing an incredible job and I am proud to be a paid-up subscriber. It would be brilliant if the organisation expanded and took on challenges all around the world, sponsored by the wealthy who have the vision to look beyond their super-size yachts and properties and instead spent some of their time in looking at the damage we are doing to the environment.

[@jimmanning4739]

Good work, Keep it up. I`m going to donate to mossy earth, a very good cause if you ask me. Very grateful for people like you in the world, we all need to look after our planet and animals much better. Take care. Jim

[@000001willy]

Great project. I hope it takes off and becomes a big success across the U.K.

[@Entoron055]

So cool that mossy earth started working with Rob. Awesome project once again :)

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you! I'm very proud to be part of the team. Cheers, Rob

[@bw4593]

Omg they’re absolutely adorable ❤

[@jodywho6696]

Great information💙💜💚

[@MossyEarth]

Glad you think so! - Cheers, Tom Berry

[@earllutz2663]

Great undertaking on reintroducing and bringing back a species, to benefit everyone.

[@fassphoto]

Woow! Amazing project. Congrats guys 👏👏👏👏

[@hunterhq295]

Seeing channels like this alongside Leave Curious or Leaf of Life gives me hope on restoration.

[@samanthapateman8054]

I’ve seen some at my local lake, it’s nice to learn more about them.

[@azurazdandaridae9158]

Good work everyone.

[@robbiewilson7306]

Walk along the Liverpool Leeds canal around Melling in Aintree in the summer you will see lots of them swimming up and down the canal feeding.

[@squirrelred64]

Excellent,, well done and it's great to see

[@anniestumpy9918]

I did not even know this animal existed and now I have a great new piece of interest! Thank you for that great and informative video 😊🐭

[@michaelcaffery5038]

40 years ago if you walked quietly along any waterway in England for a mile or two in summer you would see at least one or hear the 'plop' as one dived into the water.

[@djy5645]

Great stuff guys, well done. 👏

[@nevillewalker6299]

Brilliant little animal. I saw a female transfer her youngsters across the River Wye in Derbyshire and take them to another hole where I was fishing. We had the, in small numbers on the River Sense.

[@studbourbon798]

Great video and great work. Thanks

[@HomeSlice97]

The way they swim is so endearing

[@damienmcleod2622]

Thank you for your good work.

[@Jebiwibiwabo]

they look hilarious and adorable, nice stuff guys!

[@Arskanbooki]

Of course, water voles have their place and function in nature, but I have cursed them many times. They dig the garden upside down, eat tubers and bulbs, uproot bushes and tree seedlings. There is no shortage of them in my area!

[@zeamaiz945]

Sounds like you need a resident fox or some weasels

[@krose6451]

They are so cute! I have tovwonder if that played a roll in peoples interest. Thanks so much forthe video and this work.

[@MossyEarth]

Glad you enjoyed the video! - Cheers, Duarte

[@samuelgriffin2692]

Awesome video! Keep it up youre doing great work for the world.

[@mamamoo3974]

Great video

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you! - Cheers, Duarte

[@dklee.01]

oh and they’re very cute too 🥰 helpful and adorable

[@paulsawczyc5019]

Wonderful work.

[@Blackburnian737]

Planting Buckthorn! man I wish we could export it to you from Minnesota and Iowa and the U.S. where we struggle to get rid of it every time we start a restoration project;)

[@theowlfromduolingo7982]

Thank you for your work

[@draganastamenkovikj307]

Amazing project!

[@ScottMansfield]

Interesting video chock full of info. Nicely done.

[@michaelzajic6231]

ThANK YOU!

[@willemvanoranje5724]

Good work! :D

[@MossyEarth]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@anza323]

Kiitos!

[@MossyEarth]

Thanks! - Cheers, Duarte

[@2nd3rd1st]

They only live 5 months in the wild? That's sad. I hope they use their time well.

[@user-rz9vs2os2r]

Wind in the willows ❤️ I grew up reading that beautiful book 📖 by William Grahame

[@MossyEarth]

Beautiful book indeed! - Cheers, Duarte

[@eddieaaronson3775]

Incredible stuff!

[@andyfletch455]

Good job guys.