Research shows water vole numbers have dropped by 95%

The money from the Local Heritage Initiative will fund a project to look at the presence of water shrew and water voles in Northumberland.

The research will be run by the Northumbria Mammal Group and it is hoped it will raise awareness about the threats to the animals.

Local schools and volunteers will help with the "Researching Ratty" project.

Northumbria Mammal Group chairman Veronica Carnell said: "Recent research has shown water vole populations in Northumberland to have dropped by 95% in recent years.

"This can mainly be attributed to predation by American mink and the loss of natural habitat.

Broaden knowledge

"We know that in other parts of Europe the water vole can live on land and that they have already been found in some upland areas of the UK.

"To date little work on either species has been carried out in upland areas of Northumberland, so we are keen to see what we can find out."

Water shrews can be detected using bait tubes where they mammals feed and leave droppings which can then be analysed.

The project will run for 18 months. Organisers are planning a number of events to generate interest and recruit volunteers.

Ms Carnell said: "Although less threatened, the water shrew is equally important as a waterside indicator species.

"Evidence of both, and of predator species such as mink, or indicator species such as otters, will help broaden our knowledge of our upland waterways."