News about the project
31/10/2016
The project has been successfully completed to this date, all set goals have been met in full.
07/10/2016
Final version of A Handbook for Coexisting with Beavers (in Czech) was send to the press.
29/09/2016
On Tuesday, 27/09/2016 was held a seminar "A Handbook for coexisting with beavers" attended with about 40 participants. Invitation and program of the seminar is disponible here (in Czech).
09/08/2016
We entered the graphic design of forthcoming handbook "A Handbook for Coesisting with Beavers".
30/07/2016
In the first half of July took its place catches in southern Moravia. In six territories we caught 12 beavers (4 yearlings, 5 subadults and 3 adults). In each family, where we caught beavers, we also observed them in next few nights to obtain more accurate estimate of the number of individuals in territories.
14/06/2016
In the first half of June we caught beavers on the river Labe. However, we observed lot of beavers, we caught only three individuals in two territories. Due to the low water level and due to the failure in catching we finished all works in this area. Catching beavers by the traps is not suitable in this area because of excessive movement of people around the water.
24/05/2016
We put the pipe into beaver dam according to the text of the forthcoming methodological manuscript. An implementation of this measure you can see in a time-lapse video here, made by Tomáš Jůnek, whom we thank.
02/05/2016
This year the occurrence of beavers in the western part of the Šumava Forest has already been mapped out. In total 20 beaver territories were mapped in the area.
16/04/2016
In April, the data from the second phase of mapping were processed. Estimation of the number of territories and population density were determined in the second half of all beaver SCI. We also obtained an overview of a type and quantity of food consumed. Furthermore, the currant state of the population was compared with data from the past years.
SCI Labské údolí – mapped 48.8 km of waterways, estimated number of territories: 13, population density: 0.27 of territories / km of the watercourse, state: low decrease compared to 2015, when the last countrywide mapping of SCI was realized.
SCI Niva Dyje – mapped 186.5 km of waterways, estimated number of territories: 49, population density: 0.26 of territories / km of the watercourse, state: steady, almost identical to the situation in 2013, when the last countrywide mapping of SCI was realized.
SCI Soutok-Podluží – mapped 321.5 km of waterways, estimated number of territories: 91, population density: 0.28 of territories / km of the watercourse, state: high increase compared to 2014, when the last countrywide mapping of SCI was realized. In 2014 was described high decrease compared to previous years. Now the numbers are simmilar to years 2008 and 2010, when the last countrywide mapping of SCI was realized before the year 2014.
SCI Strážnická Morava– mapped 54.0 km of waterways, estimated number of territories: 16, population density: 0.30 of territories / km of the watercourse, state: high increase compared to 2008, when the last countrywide mapping of SCI was realized.
14/03/2016
During this weekend we mapped Labe River, as a basis for the for the forthcoming trapping.
08/02/2016
You can see the work of the projec team in short video available here.
03/02/2016
The last study site, SCI Niva Dyje, was mapped.
25/01/2016
We have already mapped another one study site - SCI Soutok-Podluží.
14/12/2015
The first study site has been already mapped (SCI Strážnická Morava). Results will be available in spring 2016, after the mapping of all remaining study sites (SCI Niva Dyje and SCI Soutok-Podluží).
10/11/2015
We organized a workshop. More than 30 experts from various fields could discuss with us over the methodological manuscript. We presented them the content and the objectives of the manuscript and we focused on the description of each measure. Thank you all for your participation and for your valuable feedback!
13/10/2015
Into the gallery we put some photos from study trips and also from catches, which took place in summer.
01/10/2015
We planned beaver workshop, which will be held 10/11/2015 at the Faculty of Environmental Sciences of the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague. We will discuss with invited experts various points of the methodological manuscript.
18/9/2015
Aleš Vorel had just come back from the 7th international beaver symposium in Voronezh. More info here.
22/9/2015
We organized another meeting for the upcoming manual - chapter with the technical provisions is truly comprehensive. We talk about comments and suggestions and we agreed on the next steps in creating a methodological guide.
15/8/2015
In the first half of August we caught beavers in Bohemian forest. Here we were more successful than at previous sites. We caught here 16 individuals (2 yearlings, 6 subadults and 8 adults). In this site we also used subsequent observations by phototraps placed in all territories.
30/7/2015
In second half of July we trapped beavers in Sumava. In ten families we caught totally 8 beavers (three yearlings, two subadults and three adults). Subsequent observations we provided by phototraps.
17/7/2015
In first half of July we trapped beavers in southern Moravia. Due to the low water level it has not been possible to catch beavers directly from the boat, so we must use the traps. In ten families we caught only seven beavers (one yearling, two subadults and four adult beavers). In each family , where we caught beavers, we also observed them in next few nights to obtain more accurate estimate of the number of individuals in territories.
10/6/2015
In recent days we have taken additional expeditions in Bohemian and Moravian country. We saw for example waterfloaded railway, sunken floor of the barn, functional and non-functional beaver deciever etc.
17/5/2015
On Thursday 14th May, a four-member expedition returned from fieldwork dealing with damage caused by beavers and its solving. We had the opportunity to visit a game reserve Soutok and forest district Tvrdonice, where we could see damage to production forest caused by browsing and prolonged flooding of the trees. We could also see damage in the chateau park in Lednice and last but not least, repairing of flood protection barrier.
28/4/2015
In May and June, several members of the team are planning fieldwork in those areas of the Czech Republic where some measures against beavers have already been functioning. Their effectiveness, financial, technical and time-demands will be determined there.
28/3/2015
In March, the data from the first phase of mapping were processed. Estimation of the number of territories and population density were determined in half of all beaver SCI. We also obtained an overview of a type and quantity of food consumed. Furthermore, the currant state of the population was compared with data from the past years.
SCI Kateřinský a Nivní potok – mapped 161.5 km of waterways, estimated number of territories: 39, population density: 0.24 of territories / km of the watercourse, state: steady, a slight increase compared to 2012, when the last countrywide mapping of SCI was realized.
SCI Labské údolí – mapped 48.8 km of waterways, estimated number of territories: 18, population density: 0.37 of territories / km of the watercourse, state: steady, a slight increase compared to 2013, when the last countrywide mapping of SCI was realized.
SCI Litovelské Pomoraví – mapped 202.1 km of waterways, estimated number of territories: 42, population density: 0.21 of territories / km of the watercourse, state: steady, almost identical to the situation in 2010, when the last countrywide mapping of SCI was realized.
SCI Morava – Chropyňský luh – mapped 164.2 km of waterways, estimated number of territories: 30, population density: 0.18 of territories / km of the watercourse, state: steady, a slight decrease compared to 2009, when the last countrywide mapping of SCI was realized.
15/3/2015
In the spring of 2015, the first phase of mapping of stable populations was carried out in chosen SCIs, i.e. SCI Kateřinský a Nivní potok, SCI Labské údolí, SCI Litovelské Pomoraví and SCI Morava – Chropyňský luh.
1/2/2015
This year the occurrence of beavers in the southern part of the Šumava Forest has already been mapped out. We mapped surroundings of previously selected areas, about which we were informed by staff of the Šumava National Park, LČR a.s., and local hunting associations. In total 14 beaver territories were mapped in the area.