Eager Beavers Part 2 - Field Trip
Anyone visiting the Halls Cleave area of Fingle Woods over the last few months will no doubt have noticed the new “leaky dams” that have appeared along the bottom of the valley. These human-built structures are designed to hold back the water and release it gradually, creating additional wetland habitat and reducing the chance of downstream flooding during heavy rainfall.
Until their extinction in the UK around 500 years ago, the Eurasian Beaver (Castor fiber) would have carried out a very similar role within the British landscape. Recently, a group of Woodland Trust and National Trust staff and volunteers visited a small enclosure in Mid-Devon to learn more about these fascinating creatures and to see just what a landscape populated by beavers might look like.
After meeting at the Sawmill Carpark in Fingle Woods, the group headed north into the Culm grassland country of Mid-Devon – its flat, open fields a marked contrast to the steep wooded hills of the Teign Valley. In a layby on a quiet country road we were met by Mark Elliott, leader of the Devon Wildlife Trust’s Beaver Project, and John Morgan, the local landowner who has hosted the beavers for the last few years.
A short walk across the fields brought us to the gate into the beaver enclosure, where Mark gave us a brief history of the project. The 3-hectare enclosure was originally constructed in 2010, with funding from Viridor’s Landfill Tax Credit scheme. A 900m-long electrified fence was constructed around the site, with a mesh “skirt” sunk 6cm below ground level to reduce the risk of the beavers digging their way out. In 2011 a pair of beavers were introduced to the enclosure by local ecologist Derek Gow, and have spent the last 7 years gradually transforming the landscape.
Until their extinction in the UK around 500 years ago, the Eurasian Beaver (Castor fiber) would have carried out a very similar role within the British landscape. Recently, a group of Woodland Trust and National Trust staff and volunteers visited a small enclosure in Mid-Devon to learn more about these fascinating creatures and to see just what a landscape populated by beavers might look like.After meeting at the Sawmill Carpark in Fingle Woods, the group headed north into the Culm grassland country of Mid-Devon – its flat, open fields a marked contrast to the steep wooded hills of the Teign Valley. In a layby on a quiet country road we were met by Mark Elliott, leader of the Devon Wildlife Trust’s Beaver Project, and John Morgan, the local landowner who has hosted the beavers for the last few years.A short walk across the fields brought us to the gate into the beaver enclosure, where Mark gave us a brief history of the project. The 3-hectare enclosure was originally constructed in 2010, with funding from Viridor’s Landfill Tax Credit scheme. A 900m-long electrified fence was constructed around the site, with a mesh “skirt” sunk 6cm below ground level to reduce the risk of the beavers digging their way out. In 2011 a pair of beavers were introduced to the enclosure by local ecologist Derek Gow, and have spent the last 7 years gradually transforming the landscape.
Beside the pond was a large metal animal trap, and Mark explained that the beavers have produced several litters during the time they’ve been in the enclosure. As territorial animals the young will naturally disperse at around two years old, and so at this age they are trapped and relocated to other beaver projects around the country.
Further along the path a mature tree ringed with metal mesh turned the talk to potential beaver – human conflicts in a landscape-scale reintroduction. Some concerns, such as predation of fish stock, are easily dealt with - beavers are herbivores, with a diet of plants, roots and bark. Conflict can arise, however, when beavers fell trees with either commercial or sentimental value. This can be mitigated by placing mesh around the trunk for protection, or coating the tree with a latex and sand mixture to discourage gnawing.
As we finished our tour of the site Mark looked ahead to the future of beavers in Devon. Around 2013, a small population of beavers of unknown origin were found living wild on the River Otter in East Devon. In 2015, following tests to show they were free of harmful parasites, the Government granted Devon Wildlife Trust a 5-year licence to re-release these beavers into the wild for study. The population has now grown to around 40 animals, and with the trial licence due to expire in 2020 the hope is that the beavers will be allowed to remain in the river and continue to expand their population.
With data from projects around the country and across Europe showing the value of beavers in restoring wetlands, improving water quality and reducing flood risk there is a growing body of evidence to support the Government licencing further releases of beavers into the wild. Who knows – one day in the not-too-distant future some more dams might appear in Fingle Woods, created not by chainsaws and diggers but by the teeth and paws of wild beavers!The Devon Wildlife Trust Enclosed Beaver Project is located on private land and is not open for public visits. The wild beavers on the River Otter can be seen (if you’re lucky!) from the public footpaths upstream of Otterton.A big thank you to Mark Elliott and John Morgan for allowing us to visit and taking the time to show us around the site!by Tom Williams
Further along the path a mature tree ringed with metal mesh turned the talk to potential beaver – human conflicts in a landscape-scale reintroduction. Some concerns, such as predation of fish stock, are easily dealt with - beavers are herbivores, with a diet of plants, roots and bark. Conflict can arise, however, when beavers fell trees with either commercial or sentimental value. This can be mitigated by placing mesh around the trunk for protection, or coating the tree with a latex and sand mixture to discourage gnawing.As we finished our tour of the site Mark looked ahead to the future of beavers in Devon. Around 2013, a small population of beavers of unknown origin were found living wild on the River Otter in East Devon. In 2015, following tests to show they were free of harmful parasites, the Government granted Devon Wildlife Trust a 5-year licence to re-release these beavers into the wild for study. The population has now grown to around 40 animals, and with the trial licence due to expire in 2020 the hope is that the beavers will be allowed to remain in the river and continue to expand their population.With data from projects around the country and across Europe showing the value of beavers in restoring wetlands, improving water quality and reducing flood risk there is a growing body of evidence to support the Government licencing further releases of beavers into the wild. Who knows – one day in the not-too-distant future some more dams might appear in Fingle Woods, created not by chainsaws and diggers but by the teeth and paws of wild beavers!The Devon Wildlife Trust Enclosed Beaver Project is located on private land and is not open for public visits. The wild beavers on the River Otter can be seen (if you’re lucky!) from the public footpaths upstream of Otterton.A big thank you to Mark Elliott and John Morgan for allowing us to visit and taking the time to show us around the site!by Tom Williams
