Devon - Just Beavers! (Day Trip)

Summary

Join Naturalist Matt Collis for an exciting evening in search of Beavers. Visiting the famous River Otter, in east Devon, our main goal will be to encounter the river’s famous Beaver population. Since their seemingly unknown introduction around 2008, Beaver numbers have slowly grown and, after five years of monitoring to assess their impact on the local landscape, on the 6th August 2020 the government officially granted permission for this re-established colony to remain. With this fantastic news, it seems that this wonderful creature, the largest rodent in Europe, is here to stay! Beavers were hunted to extinction in Britain in the 16th century, and with the loss of this most charismatic species, we also lost the range of wetland habitats they so wonderfully created, through the building of dams and lodges. The return of the Beaver also brings the return of fantastic wetland habitats for a range of other species. We will arrive just before dusk to make best use of this optimal viewing time, which also provides good light for photography. Using Matt’s specialist local knowledge and countless hours studying the Beavers here, we have the very best chance of finding, watching and photographing them. We will be mobile, taking up various positions along the river in the hope of multiple Beaver encounters and, if lucky, we may also see this year’s kits! Although obtaining great Beaver views is our main priority, there is also a good chance to find a range of other wildlife which may include Kingfisher, Dipper and Otter which are all regularly seen here. The walk will be around 4km in total.