The Pine Marten Scat Project

During 2008-2009, the Trust completed a two-year pine marten scat survey of England and Wales. The aims of the survey were to test the efficacy of scat surveys as a methodology for conducting pine marten surveys and to build on sightings reports to continue confirming the distribution of pine martens in England and Wales.

20 sites in England and Wales, selected as they had the highest number of recent high quality pine marten sightings, were surveyed over two years. Over 200 volunteers took part in the survey, walking forest tracks and collecting any possible pine marten scats (droppings). These scats were then sent to the Waterford Institute of Technology in Ireland for DNA analysis. DNA typing of marten scats is essential because marten scat is notoriously difficult to identify morphologically.

Scat surveys have proved to be a valuable method in surveying for pine martens and are likely to be a widely-used technique in our continuing work detecting the presence of pine martens in England and Wales.

Prospects for Pine Martens Project

The Trust has recently completed a two-year Prospects for Pine Marten project, employing a dedicated Pine Marten Project Manager to investigate the distribution and status of pine martens in England and Wales. Some of the highlights of the project include:

• over 1000 scats collected for DNA analysis, 80 hair-tubes monitored and several camera traps deployed to obtain pine marten evidence;
• 240 volunteers helped with scat and hair-tube surveys;
• 140 den boxes are now set up over England and Wales, providing resting and breeding sites for pine martens;
• 43 broadcast and print media features resulting in increased public awareness of pine martens;
• research undertaken to explore pine marten genetics has given us an insight into the origins and maintenance of pine marten populations.

We have developed a long-term pine marten conservation strategy, which highlights priority areas for research in England and Wales. These include determining factors limiting the survival and recovery of marten populations; developing effective monitoring methodologies; promoting targeted creation and expansion of woodland and continued assessment of distribution, status and marten behaviour in England and Wales. We will be working with a variety of statutory and voluntary conservation organisations to implement this strategy. The outcome of these priority actions will provide the basis for future plans for pine marten conservation in the UK.