in Vienne, beavers are gaining ground

Going up the beaver trail is a matter of patience. But some clues don’t lie. Two years ago, a pair of beavers settled in the Marais des Ragouillis (Vienne). The building talent of these discreet individuals has not gone unnoticed. They modified the site to build their hut. “It was more grassland managed by grazing, the beavers came to revolutionize all our management since they created a dam which flooded 7 hectares of marsh”describes Baptiste Bidet, project manager at the Conservatory of Natural Spaces in New Aquitaine.

A good contribution to biodiversity

Exterminated in the Middle Ages, the beaver reappeared 20 years ago, after its reintroduction in the Loire. Since then, the protected species has been gaining ground. Good news for biodiversity: “Beavers help restore wetlands naturally. They help strengthen the banks of waterways”, explains Miguel Gailledrat, Vienne Nature coordinator. But they are sometimes too greedy. The French Office for Biodiversity calls for closing the exploitation of poplars and planting 30 meters from watercourses.