Beavers at work: only humans and elephants have a greater impact on life around them

Beavers, which were hunted to extinction in Britain in the 16th century, are making a comeback and in the process are helping to restore valuable wetland ecosystems. Known as nature's engineers they restore wetland habitats through dam-building and felling trees, slowing, storing and filtering water in their habitat, which attracts other wildlife and reduces flooding downstream.
In the UK, 90% of wetland habitats have been lost over the last 100 hundred years. These waterlogged environments are rich in biodiversity and the loss has led to a drastic decline of wildlife. They are also important in countering the effects of extreme weather conditions, storing and absorbing the water flow during floods and storms.
Guy Henderson heads to Devon to see beavers flourishing in English rivers. Derek Gow, a key figure in rewilding beavers, shows the difference they have made to his land. As the former farm was being transformed, Gow also introduced a number of other lost British species, turning it into a biodiversity hotspot. Recent changes to legislation mean the beaver now has protected status in England as it does in Scotland and elsewhere in Europe.

[@OublietteTight]

"This is not destruction, it is gardening. " Yes!!!

[@bergonius]

It's unfair that this video have so few views. It deserves much much more.

[@Rovemcmanus1312]

Agreed. Commenting to drive engagement

[@Project-jf3bz]

What a brilliant man giving his whole farm to nature and conservation. We need more people like him.

[@ngaourapahoe]

This is so amazing ! they do this without drawing plans and adjust to what exists and extend it step by step.

[@kellyjohns6612]

"this is not destruction, it's gardening."

[@nevillemignot1681]

It is so instructive and sensible to see humans learning from our fore-fathers, nature and Beavers.

[@johnbruce2868]

Man together with "our fore-fathers, Nature and beavers" only re-colonised together much of what was to become the British islands post-Devensian Ice Age. At its maximum, about 22,000 yrs ago, the ice sheets extended to the English Midlands making life for man and beavers alike quite impossible. As much as you'd like to differentiate ideologically between man and nature, no such distinction exists.

[@nevillemignot1681]

@@johnbruce2868 Beavers do good all over the world, they are so cool!!

[@marjoriegoodwin2993]

I am delighted to have awareness growing. Nature knew what She was up to always. Mother Nature`s children take care of her, as she takes care of this miraculous planet. Beavers are her children.

[@ellencox8415]

So are we.

[@p0tmuffin69]

​@@ellencox8415there's a philosophy that a lot of us are separate and better than nature. nature is something to be controlled, as if that were possible

[@Vovo-zx4ql]

I recently watched a video talking about beavers regenerating the land in America. They even placed them in the Nevada desert/mountains. In a few years they have made an incredible difference in the environment around the creek that had once been desolate. I was totally amazed at the difference they can make. In an area recently devastated by bush fires, the catchment area where they had been working, was the only place to survive. Either side was decimated.

[@kevinflick61]

Beavers are incredible

[@markvandenbossche3812]

Derek Gow is doing an amazing job.

[@Loganl1980]

Beavers and wolves are both commonly anchors for trophic cascades. Nature is fascinating in its balances.

[@raddadray7535]

This year I’m plating like beaver on public land yet it’s up on very high ground.Rock on from Canada.

[@briangodfrey7424]

That Derek is so very eloquent about the interrelationships within nature. I wish everyone on earth could see this video.

[@dycorty9182]

Fantastic documentary, and amazing production!!!

[@k0mm4nd3r_k3n]

Thank you everyone for every part of this!

[@TheWorldRealist]

Here in the medicine bow mountains there is a beautiful terrace of beaver dams holding the water back providing fish ponds for herons to fish. I go there regularly to see the changes.

[@ngaourapahoe]

Fascinating !

[@ngaourapahoe]

Wonderful work ! so much hope...

[@Vovo-zx4ql]

As the water flows over the dam, it becomes oxygenated which improves the quality immensely which in turn benefits the fish, insect and aquatic plants populations. This then immediately begins to encourage wildlife etc.

[@sidneyvandykeii3169]

And when Beavers settle in an unwanted area they can be relocated to a more useful area where they are needed. As long as the Farmers cooperate with relocation and not just killing the Beavers. It is best for the farmers in the long run because of a more hydrated landscape.

[@RedRocket4000]

hydrated and less flooding and all they giving up is the lowest land that keeps flooding and produces the least for them as result.

[@jackmcmichael3560]

Outstanding job best of luck I can't wait to see what it look like in say 10 years 👍

[@nealramsey4439]

If they would've looked out west of the US and Canada they would've known what good beavers can bring. Beavers are being introduced to the south west to ease the lack of water in the desert.

[@jws1948ja]

Beavers may prevent forrest fires and floods.

[@geoffreylee5199]

Beavers are more interesting when left alone …

[@geoffreylee5199]

Canada’s national animal!

[@Azubrael]

🎵Nice beavah, nice beavah...you know how to show it. 🎵

[@NoahSpurrier]

I remember seeing beaver dams and the trees they chewed down in North Carolina. I never saw a beaver, though.

[@Vovo-zx4ql]

They tend to be nocturnal animals to avoid the predators.

[@jonathaneffemey944]

Thanks for posting

[@user-pu2ho4ip3d]

Learn to work with what's in front of you. Is to go with the flow of nature. For we are part of nature, not separate from it.

[@miguelvelez7221]

... ... ... Nice.

[@user-om8kd2uq2l]

This is why Canadians chose the beaver as its national animal.

[@echofoxtrot2.051]

When we work WITH Nature.

[@alexwoods2836]

Now the rivers are straightened, and the floodplains have not been flooded for a hundred years. Everything is built up. Local residents will certainly be against giving their property to beavers.

[@jamesharmon3827]

Yep, they are supposed to flood every year, that's where all the stuff grows

[@williamhemmings2879]

Talk about irony: The beaver is an iconic symbol of Canada. The Trans Canada Highway, a route that that connects St. John’s Nfld to Victoria BC, is also an iconic symbol of Canada. Somewhere in Northern Ontario a beaver dam burst and washed out the Trans Canada Highway which effectively cut the country in two.

[@tss9886]

Lynx are lovely animals they are predators, and they keep other pray species populations under control.

[@rickhouse4407]

The landscape of Britain has totally changed since the elimination of beaver, wolves and other species. Scotland was once heavily forested, now it's a barren landscape. Bring them back.

[@billg.7909]

Humans wish they could be as industrious as beavers. More droughts are coming, bring back beavers to fight them.

[@nightlightabcd]

At 11:21, in the US, is that a musk rat?

[@bobbyhoward9672]

Beavers are the greatest animal hope they frive

[@martindavidreilly1491]

I agree that beavers have place in the landscape but not everywhere.I noticed that when you were talking about low vole numbers and listed the cause you failed to mention Mink ,they have destroyed an awfull amount of wildlife wherever they are present.

[@tss9886]

Healthy natural settings are good for human mental health.

[@davidmende3409]

wasnt it proven a short while ago, that predation in yellow stone had a negligible impact on plant health / bio mass gain - and was far outweighed by the presence of more water due to beavers being reintroduced? Still, all for reintroductions of all lost life - so go team!

[@rogermorales3734]

Leave it to Beaver

[@charleswillcock3235]

TBH I have only listened to half of this video, and as a principle I am in favour of reintroducing beavers to the UK, the part which seems to have been lost on the UK Government is that we also need to grow food and the Dept. for EA seems to have lost interest in that, allowing large amounts of land to be flooded which were prime farmland. This will have a big consequence for inflation as wheat production in the UK will be down substantially in 2024. This will increase prices of wheat and that will push up the cost of food. In summary we need a careful balance and I am not sure that debate is occurring.

[@peteranddorothybowles5428]

everybody else tries to get rid of them It makes you wonder if its just an expensive waste of time I wonder how much cash is involved

[@nightlightabcd]

Can the farmers afford to let the beavers have a field?

[@trevorstewart8]

Wrong question. Can the farmers afford not to host the beavers? Would they rather host a beaver dam or two, or have their farm be ravaged by fire each year. A beaver clan could build the farmer a fire control pond in a few weeks, or he could spend $20k constructing one along with the cost of Council consents. Better a free no cost dam me thinks with natural consents built in.

[@liversinthefridge]

The title of this video forgot cats exist

[@bennichols1113]

Title ignores blue greens.

[@Azubrael]

You never elaborated on why elephants have a greater impact than beavers... I am disappointed.

[@sgassocsg]

Brown areas are not dead. They feed you. Those are farm fields. Without them we all starve and destroy. We require their existence. I enjoyed frosted wheats and milk this morning, with OJ and coffee, all from the farmers "brown fields."

[@user-hg2ow2em6n]

All we need to do to repair the damage humans have caused is step back and let nature reassert itself.. Chenobal has shown us this. Ofc on an island it might take a few species being reintroduced by us but that's it... everytime we step in things get worse not better

[@francus7227]

Wolves are equally effective.

[@johnberry1107]

Ants?

[@Pay-It_Forward]

Not much you cam grow in Scotland??? you gotta be kidding.

[@bobbyhoward9672]

Theres already big cats in England

[@SOULRELIEF22]

LOVE JESUS! ❤❤❤ "ALL THINGS WERE MADE BY HIM; AND WITHOUT HIM WAS NOT ANY THING MADE THAT WAS MADE." JOHN 1:3! ❤

[@SOULRELIEF22]

"For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding." Proverbs 2:6! ❤

[@lauraw.7008]

Bison in the USA used to have a significant positive effect on carbon sequestration. Indigenous populations understood their value. Racist European colonialists, in an effort to get rid of inhabitants of the land engaged in wholesale massacre of bison to try to cause mass famine.

[@lauraw.7008]

I love seeing how different countries are taking an interest in learning healthier, environment /ecological solutions to problems: will we learn in time the importance of regenerative care of the earth?

[@johnpark-jones4285]

You can’t keep building on flood plains that water has to go somewhere. It’s short sighted money making.

[@diannegooding8733]

Zero emissions is impossible and like many more people, everybody needs to accept it! If the present levels started their move upwards in the 1750s whatever we do it will take at least 200yrs to get the numbers down again. We do not have a convenient switch to turn rising emissions off! We must learn to adapt to any results of climate change by partnering with the natural world which will have the spin off the best reduction in emissions that we can hope for! We live in a connected world. Even if the UK could significantly reduce the level of emissions that we live in how would anybody like to suggest how we stop this nicer atmosphere staying over us and not, naturally going for a holiday to China who give some of their coal based emissions to us! It is nonsense and many more productive and significantly adaptive actions can be created by working with nature!

[@OtepArc]

God's creation.

[@j.b.4340]

Beavers are very destructive, as they’re the only animals, apart from humans, which will totally alter a habitat, simply to suit their needs. They are destructive. They aren’t cute & cuddly.

[@shawncirignano4876]

There is no evidence that the world is millions of years old. The 2nd law of thermal dynamics and the distance the moon is from the earth are 2 of the evidence for our young planet. And you appear to have 2 faces; 1 for evolution and 1 for God. Your view on evolution makes God to be a liar. ☹️ I believe that beavers are very important to our environment. They are God's dam builders, not evolution's builders.

[@paulm2467]

God is a fantasy for the weak minded.

[@shawncirignano4876]

@@paulm2467 that's a place where you're wrong. The Phyla of the Cambrian explosion has no ancestors. It's more of a problem now than it was in Darwin's day. What's more is not even 1 evolutionist has ever given proof that their religious views are accurate.

[@henrikmanitski1061]

Man inserted god/gods into things he did not understand - which is why it is the God of Gaps. The more knowledge is acquired the less use for god/gods.