Page 29 - link magazine

The Link Magazine • February 2003 29
Otterly amazing sight for new wetlands officer
Jo Sayers had an amazing stroke of luck on her first day at work in December as Swindon's Water for Wildlife Project Officer when she had
an extremely rare sighting of an otter in the River Ray.
Jo, who has lived in ^.-.-- -- come out mainly at night. mal and bird species.
and around Swindon They range over 10 to 15 "There are deer, mice, water vole
for most of her 30 miles and ou could spend and otters here," said Jo. "There are
y
years, will be working _- days looking and not catch tremendous opportunities to cre-
with the people of the `^ a a glimpse. And there we ate a magical area of wildlife very
town for the next three had one in Swindon." close to the town centre.
years to make their riv- - The return of the otter to She will also be working to im-
ersandwetlandswild- 3 rivers across the Southwest prove Hreod Burna brook at
life-friendly. The Wilt- has been a conservation Moredon.
shire WildlifeTrustpost - success stories, the result Jo would like to hear from any-
is a new one funded by -r - of years of effort to improve body interested in making Swin-
Thames Water. river habitat by cleaning don a pleasant place to live for
She described the t? polluted rivers and ensur- both humans and wildlife and can
extraordinary encoun- < ing there is plenty of be contacted on 526229 or mail:
ter. "Mark Satinet, the riverbank vegetation. [email protected]
County Mammal Re- x-.^ Jo's new role involves -
corder, has worked up working with local com-
and down most of the munities and businesses to
rivers in Wiltshire, building artifi- it was, sitting in the river, staring maintain and enhance rivers and
cial otter 'holts' and surveying for at us curiously for 15 seconds, be- wetlands with maximum benefits
otters and water voles. He was fore vanishing beneath the surface to wildlife.
showing me the otter habitat on and swimming off upstream. She will also be monitoring
the River Ray, when he suddenly "Mark had never before seen a wetland wildlife with a view to
called out that he'd just seen an live otter in the wild in Wiltshire as improving and increasing their
otter. We looked round and there they tend to avoid humans and range of habitat. Call J & J BEATTIE
The River Ray close to Swindon Garden Maintenance
Help plant 4,000 trees sewage treatment works at & Design ^l
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at Pentylands Countryside Park, Highworth. She hopes to see the sterile ma-
Lots of other attactions: children's scavenger hunt. storytelling, chine dug canal improved by in- Local & reliable
bird box making, guided walks, food, music troducing meanders and a range Regular maintenance
For details, call Alison Bruce on 466315 of habitats for different insect, ani- work also welcomed '

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