A series of walks and volunteer days are being organised by Three Rivers District Council in conjunction with the Friends of The Withey Beds and the Friends of Croxley Common Moor.

The first of the walks, at 10am on Sunday, April 19, will see Martin Ketcher, from the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, visit Croxley Common Moor where he will be leading a guided walk and talk about Britain's fastest declining mammal, the water vole.

Water voles have recently been spotted on the River Gade for the first time in more than 20 years.

This Sunday at 10am the Friends of Croxley Common Moor will be having a spring clean in order to get the site looking spic and span for the coming season.

There will also be a Spring Wildlife Walk at The Withey Beds from 10am until noon on Saturday, April 25. The tour of the Local Nature Reserve will be in the search of signs of spring - from the variety of wildflowers to butterflies, dragonflies and slow worms. There will also be a guided walk at The Withey Beds on Sunday, May 10 as part of Ricky Week. It will start at Batchworth Lock Centre at 2pm with a short talk on the history of the canals before walking along the Ebury Way to Watford Piscators’ lakes and then on to The Withey Beds.

The final walk for April is a bird walk at Croxley Common Moor at 10am on Sunday, April 26. Walkers should meet at the entrance to Croxley Common Moor at the very bottom of Mill Lane.