The Girl and the Water Vole

Maya loves the stream near her home. Each morning she puts on her yellow rain boots and red hooded jacket, takes her notebook and pencil, and walks down to the water. One sunny day, she sits quietly on the grassy bank and notices a small brown water vole peeking out. She writes down what she sees and later asks her teacher about the shy creature. Her teacher explains that water voles need healthy riverbanks with plenty of plants and gives her a phone number for someone who can tell her more.

On Saturday, Maya meets Mr. Ellis, who looks after the stream. He tells her that water voles are shy and need safe hiding places and food, but many native plants have disappeared. Maya asks if she can help, and Mr. Ellis invites her to join a supervised project to restore native plants along the stream. With gloves, trowels, and a list of plants like marsh marigold and purple loosestrife, Maya and other children learn to plant carefully. Week by week, she returns to water the plants, pull weeds, and watch for the vole. This gentle story by Aysel Banu YAVUZAL can be read on Masal İzle.