Beavering away ...

After the jubilation of finally getting the licence for the beaver enclosure came the realisation that there was a fair bit of work required before they actually pitch up.  Damn (or just dam).  Most of it to make sure they stay.  A kind of beaver Colditz is required.

Beaver fencing is not like cattle or sheep fencing.  They climb, they tunnel, and they chew.  Beavers make the pigs look easy care.  So, the fences need to be high, to have an inward overhang, to have a horizontal section on the ground and to be made of thicker wire than you’d normally find on a farm.

Typical beaver Colditz set-up (images from other enclosures, NOT yet at Cefn Garthenor): Top Left overhanding fencing, Top Right horizontal mesh, Bottom Right culvert protection, Bottom Left gate

It turns out that the horizontal mesh bit that causes the most difficulty.  This one-metre-wide section, laid flat on the ground, is designed to make digging out difficult.  It is difficult to lay and peg down effectively if the ground is too undulating, and laying it requires space.  Furthermore, it is important that the fence can be checked easily.  This meant that we needed to essentially clear a smooth(ish) track around the proposed perimeter, clearing bits of woodland and cutting through existing hedges.

We also needed to clear all internal cattle / sheep fencing within the enclosure area to allow the beavers easy movement within their area.  And to make sure that the points at which water enters and exits the enclosure can be properly fenced to prevent an escape through a culvert / water course.  Finally, I wanted to bring as much water into the area as possible, diverting nearby ditch drainage into a pond within their area.

So, I turned to Ron who performs ballet with a digger.  Man and machine in perfect harmony.  He has created many very natural ponds and scrapes at Cefn Garthenor.

A pond created within the beaver enclosure with a new overflow to keep water in the area ... you can see how it has now filled up in the image at the bottom of this blog

It took three weeks, at times with a second digger plus a tractor and trailer to shift clay and soil.  The result is amazing.  At the moment it looks a little like a war zone, but as I’ve discovered, this kind of disturbed soil quickly greens up. 

Trees cleared for fence, ditched diverted into enclosure

It was sad to have to pull out trees on the boundary, but there is collateral beauty alongside the damage.  The trees have been placed in a field within the enclosure as deadwood.  Some standing on their root splay.  Some on their sides, creating vertical soil walls at their roots.  This field will create an amazing habitat for so many critters, plant life and fungi.

Collateral beauty: Conifers brought into field as standing and fallen deadwood, which will create a great habitat (honest!)

Next step is to get the fencing in … Richard, who has tackled my fencing work, should get onto the job in October, with Ron back to dump soil on any of the horizontal wire that does not behave. Watch this space!

Pond inside enclosure has an overflow to create a wet area ... see how this has filled since it was dug (image higher up with the diggers)