A celebration of beavers in spring-time will take place in Scotland this weekend (19 – 20 March), as part of the first multinational beaver festival ever to be held across Europe. 

The Scottish Beaver Trial, the project undertaking the first trial reintroduction of beavers to Scotland, plans to run free events at Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Museum and in Knapdale Forest, the trial area in mid-Argyll which is currently the home of 12 beavers, including two breeding families which are bringing up young kits born last spring. 

Rallied by Frenchman, Samuel Dubie, a beaver conservationist, organisers in other European countries, including France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Germany, are also set to host beaver-related events at the end of this month.    

Simon Jones, Project Manager for the Scottish Beaver Trial, said:  “Taking part in the ‘Le Printemps des Castors’ festival, or Beaver Spring as we’ve called it, is important to our project.  The festival marks the coming-together of beaver conservationists around Europe to celebrate a keystone species in spring-time, a time when people are naturally keen to get outdoors and enjoy wildlife. 

“We’re pleased to be bringing the beaver to Glasgow by putting on two events at Kelvingrove Museum.  From 11.30 am to 3.30 pm on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 March, beaver experts from the Scottish Beaver Trial and the Scottish Wildlife Trust will be in the museum’s West Hall running activities including ‘mini beaver dam building’ and a ‘track the beaver’ quiz. 

“Meanwhile in Knapdale, Argyll, staff from the Scottish Beaver Trial and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland will be running free tours around the lochs which make up the beavers’ territories there.  Spaces for the Knapdale tours are limited to 20 people so booking is essential.  The tours will last for 90 minutes and will begin from Barnlusgan Information Centre, where free parking is available.

“If you can’t make the weekend activities, you don’t necessarily need to miss out.  The Scottish Beaver Trial team will be running one event every month in Argyll to give visitors a chance to tour the beaver trial site in the company of a beaver expert.  For more information, visit www.scottishbeavers.org.uk/events.

“A visit to Knapdale is a great family day out.  Signs of beaver activity, including felled and regenerating trees, a beaver dam and pond, can all be seen by taking a walk along the Beaver Detective Trail to the Dubh Loch.  To give yourself the best chance to spot beavers, it’s best to visit the site at dusk or dawn.” 

To book your place on a Knapdale beaver site tour please contact Polly Phillpot at pphillpot@rzss.org.uk  or phone 0131 314 0335.  Tours take place on Saturday 19 March from 2 pm to 3.30 pm and 7 pm to 8.30 pm, and on Sunday 20 March from 7 am to 8.30 am. 

***ENDS***

 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Nicola McGovern, PR and Communications Manager, Scottish Wildlife Trust

Tel: 0131 312 4742 (07795 608246) or email: nmcgovern@swt.org.uk

Notes to Editors

· The Scottish Beaver Trial is a partnership project between the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, the Scottish Wildlife Trust and host Forestry Commission Scotland to undertake a time-limited trial reintroduction of the European beavers to Knapdale, Mid-Argyll. It is part of Scotland's Species Action Framework, which sets out a strategic approach to species management in Scotland. The Scottish Government has asked Scottish Natural Heritage to coordinate the independent scientific monitoring of the trial, reporting on whether the conditions of the licence are being fully addressed on the ground. For more information visit www.scottishbeavers.org.uk

· SNH is working with a number of independent organisations to carry out the monitoring work. They are Argyll and Bute Council, Argyll Fisheries Trust, Historic Scotland, British Dragonfly Society, Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Oxford Wildlife Conservation Research Unit and University of Stirling. Each organisation is contributing resources towards the monitoring of the trial, along with SNH who is contributing £275,000. For information about the monitoring go to www.snh.gov.uk/scottishbeavertrial. 

· The Scottish Government approved the application of the trial reintroduction in May 2008. This followed a two-month long consultation period with local residents and key stakeholders. The results of this consultation showed that 73% of respondents were in favour of the trial reintroduction.

· Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) serves as the Scottish Government's forestry directorate.  FCS is the host partner in the project and manages the Trial site at Knapdale. www.forestry.gov.uk/scotland.

· Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park are owned by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), a registered charity, number SC004064. RZSS was founded by visionary lawyer Thomas Gillespie. The Society was set up ‘to promote, facilitate and encourage the study of zoology and kindred subjects and to foster and develop amongst the people an interest in and knowledge of animal life’. RZSS has been involved in several successful species reintroduction programmes in the past. These include native species, such as the Canna mouse, as well as global initiatives including reintroducing the Socorro dove back to the Socorro Islands, off the Mexican coast. www.edinburghzoo.org.uk

· The Scottish Wildlife Trust is a registered charity. It is the largest voluntary body working for all the wildlife of Scotland, representing more than 35,000 members who care for wildlife and the environment. The Scottish Wildlife Trust seeks to raise public awareness of threatened habitats and species and manages over 120 wildlife reserves Scotland-wide. www.swt.org.uk

· Scottish Natural Heritage advises the Scottish Government on conserving, enjoying, understanding and sustainably using our natural heritage. For further information on SNH, please visit www.snh.gov.uk.

· Funding for the Scottish Beaver Trial has been gratefully received from Biffaward. 

· In 1997 Biffa Waste Services agreed to donate landfill tax credits to the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT) to administer under the fund name Biffaward. Grants made from the fund currently amount to £100 million, supporting many worthwhile projects. Biffa Waste Services Limited is one of the largest single suppliers of waste management services in the UK. It collects, treats, recovers and disposes of municipal, commercial and industrial waste nationwide.  It is ultimately owned by a private equity consortium comprising Montagu Private Equity, Global Infrastructure Partners, Uberior Co-Investments Limited and other co-investors www.biffaward.org

· The project has also received financial support from a range of sources including the People’s Trust for Endangered Species, People’s Postcode Lottery, the John Ellerman Foundation and the Albert George & Nancy Caroline Youngman Trust