30 Apr Supporting Professional Development: Beaver Training at Wallington, Northumberland
The Newcastle team recently enjoyed a visit to the beaver enclosure within the grounds of Wallington Hall estate in Northumberland. The National Trust have re-introduced beavers at the site as part of their strategy to renew and restore the landscape. It is the third re-introduction of beavers at National Trust sites across England.
The visit was led by Heather Devey from Wild Intrigue. Heather gave the team an insight into why beavers were re-introduced to the site in July 2023 and provided training in how to identify signs of beaver activity such as gnawed tree stumps, flattened feeding stations, dug channels, dams and footprints.
The team were able to see the positive impacts of beavers on a tributary of the Hart Burn, where wetland habitat has formed as a result of their activity/ dam creation slowing water flows, which in turn has positively impacted a variety of other species in the locality including birds, fish, invertebrates and other mammals.
The afternoon was a great opportunity for the team to build upon previous knowledge and learn something new, whilst making the most of the beautiful weather.
The training was part of a wider upskilling of staff across the company in beaver ecology and legislation.
