Apparently the Devon Wildlife Trust is sponsoring a PhD candidate to study its beavers. Hmm. Here’s hoping that bringing in the science signals actual learning curves for the Devon beavers, although there’s been plenty of it done already, and we all know how effective that was.
Otter beavers PhD for Hugh
![image[1]](https://www.martinezbeavers.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/image1.jpg)
The University of Exeter and the Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT) teamed up to recruit Hugh Graham, a geographer who is returning to academia after a year in industry. Their work could one day influence government policy on the animal’s reintroduction, but they will need the support of other enthusiasts to make it happen.
“It’s very much an interesting topic for me,” said Hugh. “I do a lot of fishing and kayaking and spend a lot of time on rivers. “It’s a good opportunity to look at how they impact on river life. It encompasses a lot of what I’m interested in – I’m excited to see them.”
The DWT has plenty of biological and ecological expertise, so Hugh said he was ‘filling in the blanks’ from a geographical standpoint. Hugh will look at the beavers’ physical effect on the river, studying the hydrology and the changing shape of the banks, as well as their impact on vegetation and insect life. They have been known to coppice willow trees to promote growth, and their dam-building can help to improve water quality.
The instinctive behaviour can also reduce the risk of flooding, but Hugh said the animals are unlikely to build on the River Otter, as they only tend to do so in shallow water when they feel unsafe.
HUGH! Welcome to the beaver team! I can only hope that your year in industry wasn’t making hats or perfume. I’m fairly certain that if you actually look at the effect of beavers over time and report what you learn you’ll get a positive view of their return.
Here’s hoping!
And some seasonal (and yes I said season, deal with it) cheer from our beaver friends at OAEC.
