On the lookout for otters at Yeovil Country Park

THE Countryside Rangers at South Somerset District Council are currently undertaking surveys at Yeovil Country Park - which includes surveying many of our protected species that the park supports.

The surveys are completed once a year and the results of the surveys provide very useful information for the rangers in terms of monitoring the success of their land management and to inform them where their approach may need to change.

You will see rangers in small dingy boats within Dodham Brook looking for signs of water vole and otter activity, and if you get up early enough, you may even see the rangers completing breeding birds surveys early in the morning.

Once the meadows start to flower the rangers will be on their hands and knees assessing the conditions of the grasslands within the Country Park, the grasslands are increasingly supporting more species and the Ninesprings Meadows are great bug hunting grounds in the high summer.

Survey results are shared with the local group of Somerset Wildlife Trust who annually compile a comprehensive species list for Yeovil Country Park and also with other conservation organisations like Butterfly Conservation.

The surveying is also a valuable tool for training the Countryside Apprentice in Yeovil Sophie Middleditch, last week Sophie enjoyed understanding more about otter ecology at Riverside walk as she looked for spraints and holts.
 
A range of species surveys will run from now until late summer.

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