Guess who is supporting the reintroduction of beavers in Scotland now? Only the biggest environmental organization in the country, that’s who.
RSPB favours further releases of beavers
RSPB Scotland offered some of its own 80 nature reserves as potential sites following last month’s conclusion of the Scottish Beaver Trial, run by Scottish Wildlife Trust and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, in Knapdale Forest in Argyll.
The beavers, which began to be introduced five years ago, now range over a territory equivalent to 120 football pitches. Between May 2009 and September 2010 16 Eurasian beavers were released in the woodland, near Lochgilphead.
Duncan Orr-Ewing, head of species and land management at RSPB Scotland, said: “Beavers are incredible mammals that have an important role to play in our countryside. We urge the Scottish Government to make way for further projects to bring this remarkable species back to our countryside.“
Not only is RSPB lending their support to beavers, they’re lending their extensive preserves all across the country! If the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds becomes the Regional Spokesmen for the Promotion of Beavers, hold onto your hats. We are in for an AWESOME year!
For those of you following along at home, let’s just review just some of the ways beavers help birds:
- Increase fish and frog population which feeds water fowl
- Augment invertebrate community to feed songbirds & waterfowl.
- Restore plant complexity to benefit all birds.
- Create flooded and dead trees for obligate nestors.
- Promote coppicing to create dense and bushy new growth for nesting.
We should all be very happy that twitchers support beavers. It means not only can we expect the beavers in Scotland to be welcomed with open willow, we can bet we will see them soon in England. Thanks RSPB!
