LIFE Beaver project

The European beaver was almost eradicated in most of the European countries good two hundred years ago, after hundreds of years of merciless hunt and chase, the species ending on the verge of extinction. In the last few decades, it is successfully being reintroduced back to its native home range with the help of many reintroduction programmes, such as e. g. in Croatia, from where it naturally spread across the border to the neighbouring Slovenia. The beaver is successfully traversing many obstacles in cultural landscape, even river barriers. However, it is with enormous strain tackling obstacles in human mentality of selfish tendency to overexploitation of natural resources, falsely believing they are in inexhaustible amount, bending them to human will and need. The beaver is likewise adapting its riparian habitat to its own needs, however, at the same time, it is also maintaining it and keeping it hospitable for other species – as well as for humans: it is increasing biodiversity and ecosystem dynamics of inland waters.

Aim

The aim of the project LIFE BEAVER: Life with the beaver, wetlands and climate change is informing and educating the general public and selected target groups about beaver’s role in freshwater ecosystems and its importance for the environment, improving coexistence with beavers and introducing good practices to prevent damage, preparing proposals for improving existing management policies and compensation schemes, and making the public aware of the benefits of wetlands that beavers create - especially in connection with climate change, as wetlands mitigate both droughts and floods. An important part of the project is also collecting data on the distribution of beavers in Slovenia and Croatia.

How to participate

You are invited to share your observations of beaver presence in the field with the project partners and thus contribute to the success of the project. For the purpose of data collection, the »Bobrosled« (»Beavertrack«) web application was developed. The Beavertrack is freely available on the project website (https://life-beaver.eu/en/beavertrack/). To confirm the authenticity of the entered data, you are asked to attach at least one photo through the application, even better a photo of each sign you noticed (e.g. beaver dam, gnawed trees and branches, ...).

Needed equipment

digital camera, internet

About funding

Funding bodies: European Commission

Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning of Slovenia

Active from 01/09/2020 until 31/08/2024

Keywords

Science Topics

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Participation tasks

Coordinator

Location