A wildlife charity hopes funding of £760,000 will help the water vole population in Nottinghamshire to “thrive again”.
Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust said it had secured government funding for its initiatives to bring back water voles and prepare for the return of beavers to the county.
Part of the funding will be used to “eradicate” non-native mink in Nottinghamshire, which the charity said threatened vole populations.
A spokesperson for the trust said recovering voles and wild beavers will benefit other plants and animals in the county that depend on healthy wetlands and river systems.
According to the wildlife charity, water vole populations in the county have decreased by about 90% in the past 15 years due to a rise in non-native mink species.
Janice Bradley, director of recovery at the trust, said it had received more than £600,000 for a project to prepare for the return of beavers in the county.
There are currently no wild beavers in the county, only enclosed beaver populations, Bradley said.
In addition, £160,000 has been awarded for a water vole recovery project from Natural England’s Species Recovery Programme.