Bring back the Beavers!
As I watch the news today and see the impact of storm Christoph, I can’t help think just how much of this devastation we have brought upon ourselves. And yet, apart from the mention of climate change, there is little said about the impact of intensive farming practices, land management and the fact that it is human interventions that have brought these disasters upon us. Deforestation, monoculture landscapes, changing the natural course of rivers and waterways, destruction of floodplains and water meadows and of course the eradication of species such as the Beaver are the real root of the problem.
If we were to restore our woodland, adopt farming practices that regenerate nature and support our wildlife, and if we were to restore lost species, such as the beaver, we would remedy so much of the impact of flooding we see in the news today.
Beavers create life wherever they go! Beavers are change makers, a keystone species, a life giver - creating new habitats and new opportunities for hundreds of other species - mammals, amphibians, fish, invertebrates and birds. And yet, there is still so much opposition to beaver reintroduction.
Derek Gow has dedicated his life to the reintroduction of lost species, and is the man driving the reintroduction of beavers to our land. He gets things done, and like the beaver, he too is a change maker, someone who understands the urgency of the hour and the need to cut through red tape and bureaucracy, and simply do what needs to be done - to restore our world and to do it now.
I love his spirit and no nonsense attitude. Take a look at this zoom interview with Derek and let’s take a leaf out of his book, turn up the heat, put our foot on the peddle and restore our land, and our wildlife, to leave a beautiful world behind us for all species to enjoy, not just our own.
By Lesley Malpas