Chris Jones, a livestock farmer from Cornwall, witnessed massive flooding from 2012-2014 and came up with an ingenious way to prevent it…
He first suggested the idea in 2014 to an EA geomorphologist (someone who studies geographic morphology) who was suggesting the idea of building a damn that neither had the money to build or maintain. What could be a cheap method be that required no maintenance be?
Beavers. Wiped out in the UK in the 1500’s, they are well documented to slow down water flow and prevent flooding downstream, by holding the water in the land upstream.
For a full-scale reintroduction he said: “we needed a license, and the conditions on which they are given is pretty much impossible”, as it required all the neighbouring landowners to agree.
“I’ve never known two Cornish farmers to agree on anything”
He joked to the lecture. But this meant instead of an introduction scheme, he instead had to have a fenced off area to hold them in as a testing area. And this would require more money than he had to introduce this ‘gateway mammal’: “easily available, doesn’t cause you much harm, but leads you to better things”.
So he set forth to make partners for the endeavor:
- Woodland Valley Farm
- Cornwall Wildlife Trust
- Exeter University (hydrology)
- Coast Project
- Southampton University (fish surveying)
- Derek Gow Consultancy (provides beavers)
With financial, skill, resource and labour support from the various partners they set to work, beginning by being the first site worldwide to have accurate hydrology and environmental records from before the introduction.
After recordings were done, a “beaver-proof fence” was put up around the perimeter of the reserve to ensure they didn’t escape, to stay on the happy side of nearby land owners as well as for their own protection.
They were released on 16th June 2017
Both a male and female were released (from Devon and Wales respectively), and the first damn was found only 2 days later, which increased in size day by day, until there was near a foot of water height between the two sides.
In the time between the reintroduction and when the lecture was given there had already been many changes across the 32 weeks:
- 4 Dams
- Lodge building commenced
- original pond tripled in volume
- 2 more ponds created, aswell as a wetland
- 2 stream channels instead of one (doesn’t fully block stream, so some water flows through whilst the rest forms a new stream)
- Increase in abundance and biodiversity
- The female is hopefully pregnant
Over such a short period this is a massive amount of progress, and I am eager to hear of any further developments. But he set out his future hopes as: creating more sites where reintroduction can occur, the beaver being recognised as a native species, maintain a breeding population and further increase in biodiversity.
The work is truly phenominal
Re-introductions of species is difficult and highly rewarding work, with other examples being beavers in Bavaria, and grey wolves in Yellowstone National Park. The skill and effort are amazing, but still dwarfed by the colossal effects they can have. The Cornwall Beaver Project is a truly amazing feat.
Conservation has always been an interest, but I much prefer the idea of working hands on, on site with animals, and I think reintroduction projects may provide that experience and career that I am really after, and I will keep an eye out for any similar projects that may be taking place in future, as an ideal career choice.
Biology Express: Zoology 