LIFE with the beaver, wetlands and climate change

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

BACKGROUND

The European beaver (Castor fiber) is listed in annexes II and IV of the Habitats Directive. According to the last report under Article 17 of the directive, the species has favourable conservation status in Slovenia and Croatia. At the beginning of the 20th century, only five populations remained in Europe with about 1 300 animals in total, due to a decline caused by over-hunting combined with a loss of wetlands. The European beaver was completely extirpated (i.e. locally extinct) in Slovenia and Croatia. However, as a result of conservation programmes, the species is recovering across its entire range in Europe. Thus, the beaver is also re-colonising its historical habitats in both project countries. But its long absence means the beaver has disappeared from the publics perception, losing not only its natural but also its social habitat. Beavers returning are now considered as a new species, and even as a pest, by local inhabitants and various stakeholders (foresters, farmers, other landowners and even some biologists). Conflicts arise as the beaver population increases. Fallen trees, feeding on fields, and local flooding due to beaver dams or clogged culverts are frequently reported as beaver damage. Therefore, there is an urgent need to raise awareness about beavers in general, stressing their important role in freshwater ecosystems, and to prepare guidelines on water management strategy and agricultural policy for living with beavers.

OBJECTIVES

LIFE BEAVERs overall objective is to raise awareness about the return of the European beaver to Slovenia and Croatia after two centuries of absence. It aims to provide reliable information about the species, emphasising its positive impact on the environment, to all relevant stakeholders to ensure public acceptance of and create positive attitudes towards the beaver.

The projects specific objectives are to:

Improve key stakeholders knowledge about the beaver and its benefits (ecosystem services of wetlands);

Promote wetlands managed and created by the beaver and its ecosystem;

Present and demonstrate best practice techniques of beaver management to important stakeholders and target groups in the fields of forestry, agriculture and water management to minimise human-beaver conflicts;

Introduce the beaver to the broader public and promote it as a key animal species in wetlands;

Strengthen cross-border cooperation between Slovenia and Croatia for exchanging best practice solutions and synchronised population management of the beaver; and

Improve attitudes towards and acceptance of the beaver by selected target groups via an advertising campaign and information, communication and education at all levels as well as promoting co-habitation with beavers in the countryside as offering new opportunities for sustainable tourism and rural development.

The project is in line with a range of European policy, in particular, the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats as well as the EUs Habitats Directive (Annex II) and its biodiversity strategy to 2020. In addition, LIFE BEAVER aims to explain and promote synergies between the EUs Habitats, Water Framework and Floods directives, with a clear link also to the common agricultural policy.

RESULTS

Expected results:

10% of the Slovenian and 4% of the Croatian population reached in the project area (250 000 people) with general information about the beaver and/or ecosystem services of wetlands, as well as 10% of farms in the Slovenian project area (6 300) and 4% of those in Croatia (5 000);

40 000 copies of a booklet on the beaver printed and distributed to target groups, including the demonstration of best practice management techniques (printed Beaver Handbook), in at least 40 different locations;

At least 15 workshops for key stakeholders and more than 200 people informed about and trained on the beavers impact on forests, farmland and roads, and adequate protection measures;

Beaver monograph (3 000 copies in both project languages);

Six information points and one educational path established; 40 lectures for selected target audiences;

200 different contributions to the media during the project;

Portable exhibition about the beaver and direct communication with visitors at 15 fairs/festivals;

Regional beaver workshop for 40-50 participants and a documentary film about the beaver; and

At least 100 workshops for schoolchildren (reaching 3 300 children) and 30 different schools equipped with Beaver Toolboxes.