GWCT South West Wales committee launches with first event, “Curious About Beavers?”

On the evening of Monday 4th April, the newly formed GWCT South West Wales Committee held their first event courtesy of Dr Nick Fox and the Bevis Trust to visit their conservation focused 300-acre farm near Carmarthen and their lakes which are home to a beaver population.

After an absence of 500 years, the European beaver has been reintroduced to Scotland and very recently have been granted permission to roam the rivers of England once again. Beavers are currently not permitted to live wild in Wales so the Bevis beavers are kept in three huge pens surrounding three lakes.

The enthusiastic group of 25 heard how the farmland has been developed over the last 40 years to embrace commercial farming with the poor quality areas set aside to wildlife. There were plenty of signs of beavers with chewed willow branches and a breeding lodge but a sighting proved allusive, they are soon to have young (mid-April) so are keeping themselves to themselves.

There were lots of interesting questions during the evening regarding farming, conservation, beavers and their potential reintroduction to Welsh rivers and how best to manage their intensive riverbank activity.

The SW Committee are planning a number of further events in the 2022, so watch this space!