AnnualReportfor2024Final2025 - Flipbook - Page 15
By 2030, VWT will have:
5
addressed evidence gaps and data de昀椀ciency
for VWT Priority Species so that conservation e昀昀ort
is better informed.
Main achievements during 2024
A National monitoring of barbastelle and Bechstein’s bats
B Irish Stoat Citizen Science Survey
C The fourth National Polecat Survey (2024-2025)
Polecat: ©Moss Taylor
A VWT is working in partnership with Bat Conservation
Trust, Sussex University and Exeter University to
increase the accuracy of monitoring the known
species range for barbastelle and Bechstein’s bats. In
addition, this ambitious project is investigating further
information on population sizes, population densities,
drivers of population change, improved knowledge
of species habitat use and behavioural ecology. For
example, novel techniques such as swabbing for
environmental DNA at known tree roosts is being used
to help improve and speed up survey methodology and
ensure more roosts are discovered and protected.
B VWT Ireland’s Irish Stoat Citizen Science Survey has
been running since February 2023 in partnership with
the National Biodiversity Data Centre in Waterford,
the Centre for Environmental Data and Recording in
Northern Ireland, and the University of Galway. It
aims to acquire knowledge of the current distribution
of the species throughout the island of Ireland. The
survey is improving understanding of stoat distribution
throughout its range — gathering better baseline data
and information on which to base future monitoring
methods and conservation interventions; as well
as improving mustelid identi昀椀cation skills among
the public. There were 747 veri昀椀ed sightings across
Northern and the Republic of Ireland by the end of
2024, with most reports being of live animals.
C VWT’s three national polecat distribution surveys
to date, at ten-year intervals, have been monitoring
the range expansion of polecats. Findings indicate
that polecats have spread out from their historical
stronghold in mid-Wales and have recolonised many
areas of lowland Britain from where they were
trapped to extinction at the end of the 19th century.
The fourth National Polecat Survey (2024-2025)
is supported by a number of other organisations
including The Mammal Society, local mammal groups
and biological record centres from around Britain
through the sharing of polecat data.
Polecat sightings continued to be submitted to our
National Polecat Survey, providing data that will give
us updated understanding of polecat distribution
across Britain. Around 900 records submitted during
2024 have been checked with 230 being veri昀椀ed as
polecats based on pelage score.
Vincent Wildlife Trust Annual Report and Financial Statements 2024 15
