Martens on the Move at Wallington
Here at Wallington we are working in partnership with the Vincent Wildlife Trust to encourage the natural expansion of pine martens into the Wallington Estate.
The pine marten was once a familiar feature of English woodlands and they play an important role in keeping our woodlands healthy and balanced. It is thought that the species were once the country’s second most common carnivore (after the weasel) but due to habitat loss and hunting they are now the second rarest (after the wildcat).
The English and Scottish border area is one of the Vincent Wildlife Trust’s strategic recovery areas, where previously reintroduced pine marten populations are now naturally expanding. Wallington has been selected as the English haven site where visitors will be able to learn more about the species and the recovery work that is being done here.
Martens on the Move (which covers 11 counties in England, Scotland and Wales) is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, the Vincent Wildlife Trust are able to bring together local landowners, land managers and communities to help native pine martens return to the forests of Britain.
A few facts about pine martens...
What is a pine marten?
Pine martens belong to the weasel family and are one of 6 native mustelid species in Britain: badger; otter; stoat; weasel; polecat; pine marten.
Where do pine martens live?
Pine martens are woodland specialists and have excellent climbing skills that allow them to live in forested habitats. Pine martens naturally live at low densities and have large home ranges that don’t overlap with others of the same sex.
What do pine martens eat?
Pine martens are adaptive and opportunistic feeders, eating small mammals as well as invertebrates, plants and fungi that vary their diet throughout the year and take advantage of what is most locally abundant. In this way they help keep the forest ecosystem in balance.
How are we helping?
Wallington’s rangers are working with volunteers from West End Refugee Service, a charity supporting asylum seekers and refugees in Newcastle, to improve the woodland habitat.
We are so excited to be working in collaboration with our Haven partners. It means that we can offer so many more opportunities for people to learn about pine martens and how they can support their recovery. It also means that local community groups can get involved in hands-on habitat improvement work and monitoring in this joined up approach to pine marten conservation.
Pine martens and red squirrels
Alongside Wallington’s work on Martens on the Move, we have an ongoing red squirrel conservation project which remains a top priority. It’s an ongoing challenge and, as with many of this country’s native species, they face a number of threats including habitat loss and, significantly, from the non-native grey squirrel, which were introduced in the 19th century.
Pine martens are carnivores and are known as ‘regulatory predators’, meaning they will eat whatever is in abundance. This in turn increases the biodiversity of an area as other species have an opportunity to survive and thrive.
Red squirrels have coevolved with pine martens and learned to fear them and keep out of their way, unlike the non-native greys. Studies in Britain and Ireland show reduced numbers of grey squirrels in areas that the pine martens are naturally expanding into as well as a low occurrence of red squirrel in the diet of pine martens.
Although further research is needed to fully understand the dynamics between the three species, as the pine martens start to naturally recover here at Wallington it is hoped that they will help us to rebalance the scales where grey squirrels are outcompeting the reds.
Vincent Wildlife Trust and Martens on the Move
You can find out more about the Vincent Wildlife Trust and the Martens on the Move project including details of the other haven sites on the Martens on the Move website.
Our partners
Pine martens are part of our rich wildlife heritage and play an important role in keeping our woodlands healthy and balanced. Since 1983, Vincent Wildlife Trust has been working to conserve pine martens in Britain and Ireland.
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