Otters and Rivers Project

The aims of the Otters and Rivers Project (OARP) are: to restore the otter population; to increase knowledge of the other semi-aquatic mammals, namely the American mink, the water vole and the water shrew; and to improve wetland habitats. These aims are being pursued through a network of conservation officers and volunteers.

Obviously the work has focused on the otter - which is a rare conservation success story. Following a dramatic decline, otters are now making a good comeback and Cornwall can proudly boast of a healthy, expanding population. Unfortunately, the situation is very different

for the water vole: there are no known positive sites. Reedbeds are a possible last refuge for water voles but they are nationally scarce and are in fact among the rarest of habitat types in the UK. Further funding is being sought from the Pennon Group (Viridor Waste Management and South West Water) and the Environment Agency to assess the status of this habitat and to determine if it does provide possible water vole havens.

The mink is often viewed as a menace and reports can be alarmist. However, there are also very few records for mink in Cornwall and it is believed that the mink itself could be in decline. While the odd mink record is collected through

otter surveys, this year we hope to do some more detailed research. We also hope to look more closely at one of Britain's smallest busybodies - the water shrew. Last year, volunteer Karen Varnham carried out trials of water shrew surveying methods and we would like to do more survey work around the county. We need to know more about the water shrew and there is no time to lose - in the life of a shrew (they generally live less than 18 months) or in the race to determine their status to ensure they do not follow in the footsteps of the water vole. If you are interested in joining the "Shrew Crew" please get in contact to find out what you can do.

Kate Stokes

Living Churchyards

Highlights in close-up at St Sampson's, Golant

Slowly and carefully we eased the ancient sun-warmed headstone away from the wall against which it was propped. There, resting in the warm shelter on a fine March day, a slow-worm lay against the climbing ivy, remaining long enough to be photographed. Its curved body was shaped into a perfect P.

This was one highlight in a year recording the wildlife within our churchyard. The ancient church nestles on sloping ground at the top of

a steep hill above our small waterside village.

Each month we searched every corner of our churchyard for specimens, updating albums with photographs and interesting text; these were left for viewing in the church. We became increasingly excited by the diversity of lichens, ferns, mosses, grasses, fungi and especially flowers.

In bleak January, we photographed the blooms of nine different varieties. March produced a golden carpet of lesser celandines, April brought a stunning display of double lady's smock over the whole churchyard, and in May we discovered a plant unknown to us.

It was verified by Rose Murphy, the County Recorder, as double white meadow saxifrage. The churchyard in June was filled with colour: we identified 17 new flowering varieties to add to those still blooming from previous months. Access paths were strimmed and the first cut left until seeds had set.

Many insects were photographed, including a bloody-nosed beetle, noonday flies and a tiny spotted moth half a centimetre across. Resident lesser horseshoe bats occasionally used the inside roof of the church porch as a transient roosting place! True sanctuary!

Mike and Gillie Harris