our community of snow athletes are united in the fight to protect our winters and the wildlife and cultures which depend on them.
Pine martens
Elusive and incredibly agile, Pine martens were once widespread across the ancient British woodland.
Today they are one of the rarest carnivores in the UK.
Despite their small numbers, the species continues to play an integral role in the balance of healthy British woodlands, feeding on rabbits, voles, birds and berries.
Pine martens are also excellent hunters of Grey squirrels, and could become key to the success of native Red squirrels.
Red squirrels are better at scenting the danger of Pine martens, with the two species having co-evolved with one another long before the industrial revolution began a century of devastating habitat loss.
Pine Martens have a fascinating folklore within British history. The species was once widely considered to be sheep-killers and were extensively persecuted by farmers and Victorian gamekeepers throughout the 19th century.
Despite near extinction, the species survived in remote areas of the UK, and thanks to the incredible efforts of charities such as the VWT, these populations are slowly growing.
Pine martens were long believed to be extinct in the forests of England. In 2010 however, scat found at Kidland Forest in Northumberland, close to the Scottish border, indicated that a small number of pine martens had migrated south from Scotland.
This was confirmed the following year, when in 2011 DNA testing of scat found in Cumbria established that European pine martens were indeed present in the area.
The future of British Pine martens is unfortunately nowhere near certain.
The highly discontinuous nature of woodland habitat is making it hard for the species to expand, and current populations are highly dependent on breeding programs to sustain them, such is their slow reproductive rate in the wild.
What are we doing to help?
In 2021, we published an article in Happy Eco News about 'Faunal Nationalism' and the reintroduction of Pine martens in the UK.
Since 2019, we have donated over £315 towards efforts to re-introduce Pine marten populations across the UK.
To support Pine martens directly, head to the Vincent Wildlife Trust to learn about their incredible work and breed and release programs.