When you are trying to solve a problem you think you understand you are pretty controlling about who you ask to help you, or even IF you ask for help at all. “I got this” you mutter over and over as you attempt your rescue. But there comes a certain point at which things are so messed up beyond your control that you will accept help from anyone.
ANYONE.
Which is how I got invited to speak at the ca state parks conference many years ago. Many parks were closed. They were all hemorrhaging money and someone said good lord let that beaver lady talk. she’s free and she can’t make things any worse.
Keep that in mind as you read what’s happening in the UK. Wales has just released beavers and England made a plan to release a whole lot of them. That’s how bad the environment has gotten across the pond. They are willing to try anything.
Iolo Williams on return of Dyfi estuary beavers
It comes after more than 15 years of work by the Welsh Beaver Project, which had been investigating the feasibility of reintroduction in Wales.
A father and son pair are now living at Cors Dyfi Nature Reserve, with the mother expected to join her family in a few weeks.
The officially-licensed beavers were released by the naturalist and television presenter, Iolo Williams, into a purpose-built enclosure on the reserve.
“It was a real honour to be asked to help release the beavers at Cors Dyfi. Finally, after more than four centuries, these wonderful animals are back where they belong and I’m sure they will prove to be as big an attraction as their osprey neighbours,” he said.
Hurray for Wales! Who has been waiting a dam long time to fix the sins of their fathers! And hurray for this:
Record numbers of beavers are being introduced to the UK
With the constant threat of climate change, conservationists are keen to find new, natural and cost-efficient ways of mitigating environmental disasters. Beavers could be the answer.
Earlier this year, beavers were introduced to the South Downs, and more releases are being planned in Dorset, Derbyshire, the Isle of Wight, Nottinghamshire and Montgomeryshire.
Derek Crawley, lead author of the Mammal Society’s Atlas of the Mammals of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, says, ‘While the impact of beaver extinction wasn’t noted because we weren’t aware of their true value hundreds of years ago, bringing them back will change the landscape as we know it. Beavers bring many ecosystems together and that will offer a wider range of ecological services.’
Turns out all you need is a problem bad enough and anything looks like a solution. Sure we are mucking the planet at an amazing rate and destroying an ecosystem balance that is hanging by a thread. But maybe the rodent can help?
Dams decrease the impacts of floods by up to 60% by reducing water flow. The same mechanism is also a solution for drought periods where water in pools can be utilised. Both are helpful for many towns and cities which are prone to floods and droughts.
Another huge benefit of beaver dams and pools is their ability to capture carbon. The dams hold back silt, which locks up carbon and new plant growth in the surrounding area and forms a carbon sink.
Native trees such as willow or alder evolved alongside beavers for millions of years. When gnawed on by beavers, they quickly regrow from felled stems or cuttings. This process thins trees and allows space for other plants to grow in the area, creating a rich and diverse ecosystem.
I for one cannot wait to see the art that Lizzie Harper of Wales generates when she encounters beavers for the first time.
