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Beavers - Bush (30th Jan 2020 - 07:11:49) Liphook has historical links to beavers, in names of places, scouts, and the Canadian link. The European beaver is being re-introduced to the UK. Already spreading in Scotland and being monitored in Devon. We have our Radford park which is ecologically tired. Would it not be fantastic to host the first Hampshire reintroduction trial? Add a local claim for fame? improve the Radford Park ecology? Reconnect with our local beaver theme? The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (beavers are mammals): rspb.org.uk/our-work/our-positions-and-casework/our-positions/species/beaver-reintroduction-in-the-uk

Re: Beavers - Helen (30th Jan 2020 - 08:42:56) The National Trust are currently fundraising for the same project at Blackdown. I am sure the Rangers have their hands full 2 miles from Radford Park. It has taken them a few years to get to where they are now. I would think Radford too urban compared to fields on a remote farm?

Re: Beavers - k (30th Jan 2020 - 09:54:42) Love the idea - BUT with dog walkers abounding Radford Park & it's use for drug behaviour not sure Beavers would survive for long?

Re: Beavers - George (30th Jan 2020 - 12:10:43) There wouldn't be many trees left standing would there?!

Re: Beavers - Peikki (30th Jan 2020 - 12:19:25) What would be the benefits and implications for other established wild and domestic animals Nature evolves, species come and go, no doubt our time will come as well

Re: Beavers - Bush (30th Jan 2020 - 13:25:02) Radford Park's ecology is currently impoverished by bad management. Not enough sunlight is reaching the water and surrounding meadows. Too many trees, many of which are weedy. Beavers fell trees selectively and are subject to natural & human control. Deforestation should not be a concern. True, there are challenges, probably insurmountable. It's a fantasy. Exchanging views about it could only help. Where would the funds and manpower come from? Can we find supporting evidence and good argument for public funds these days? Presumingly there would be surplus beavers for transfer from elsewhere? We see lots of wild species we thought are too timid make their homes in urban surroundings. Example of wild beavers in and around Stockholm: nationalgeographic.com/news/2016/04/160419-beavers-animals-science-sweden-world-wild-cities Less concerned with badly controlled dogs and cats, it's human vandals and vigilante that would pose a considerable problem. One can imagine reintroduction proponents blaming the beavers for all that might go wrong in their gardens and seek ways to remove the reintroduction, legally or otherwise....

Re: Beavers - JBS (30th Jan 2020 - 14:38:16) I would think that there is not enough land area in Radford Park alone, to support a beaver colony, as most previous UK introductions are in areas much larger. Probably, at least two orders of magnitude larger. Which adjacent land areas would the origional proposer suggest could be included, to make the area viable?

Re: Beavers - Pete (30th Jan 2020 - 15:39:26) A beaver colony needs around 3-4 k/m of a linear woodland river as territory. Radford park is a small section of a 5km (more if bends are taken into account) section of the river way which is navigable by wildlife from Bramshott to Hammer without having to cross any roads. The habitat is ideal, very wet with lots of trees suitable for coppicing and in dire need of some form of control. Where there's a will there's a way.

Re: Beavers - Helen (30th Jan 2020 - 16:37:01) A huge area would have to be fenced off or they will just estsblish themselves further down the river. Dogs would certainly scare them away. The National Trust are doing it on their own land with their own staff and also fundraising towards this. If you have issues with the way Radford Park is managed take it up with the management committee.

Re: Beavers - Bush (8th Sep 2021 - 05:26:50) According to the Liphook Community Magazine, Autumn 2021: The River Wey Trust had already taken initial steps! That's very exciting. Good luck to all!

Re: Beavers - The River Wey Trust (8th Sep 2021 - 09:21:04) Just to clarify the reference to the release of beavers mentioned in the Liphook Community Magazine on page 9 of the Autumn Edition. This release is on the headwaters of the River Wey. It is a project under the direction of the National Trust near to Haslemere and the release is not in the Parish of Liphook.

Re: Beavers - joe (8th Sep 2021 - 15:24:54) The 2 beavers at Blackdown are in an area currently closed off to the public. It is nothing to do with the River Wey Trust. One beaver has already died, although replaced. Radford Park is totally unsuitable as, Beavers are very shy creatures, and dogs and people would certainly need a huge exclusion zone.

Re: Beavers - Joe (8th Sep 2021 - 17:20:40) The reason beavers died out in this country was the hat making industry who used the fur to make top hats for men usually. I am not aware that the beaver name or former mammal population has any historical links to Liphook in particular, the scouts have used the name nationally not just in this area. The reason that Radford Park has a special Site of importance for Nature Conservation designation is the Alder Carr wet wooded areas so it would be a shame to put that at risk by clearing the trees.

Re: Beavers - AF (9th Sep 2021 - 14:42:45) If were re-introducing species, how about some wild boar, European bears and of course a pack of wolves would be good.

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