Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Beaver Trust @beavertrust.bsky.social · 1d

The results of the study show that beavers can improve habitats for many species on both immediate and legacy timescales.

The removal of beavers from much of the northern hemisphere disrupted the balance - but their return offers a rare opportunity to restore it.

3 5

Beaver Trust @beavertrust.bsky.social · 1d

Engineering a legacy: 54 years of beaver impact

A new study explores over five decades of beaver activity in southern Finland. While some benefits appear quickly, others emerge only later or after beavers leave an area.

Find out more 👇
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

1 3 4

Beaver Trust @beavertrust.bsky.social · 7d

We hope this milestone is just the start, with a framework, wild release licensing system & national strategy to follow, and are grateful for the longstanding work of Wildlife Trusts Wales and partners in reaching this moment.

1

Beaver Trust @beavertrust.bsky.social · 7d

The Welsh Government has announced plans to recognise beavers as a native species in Wales and grant them full legal protection. This welcome step brings Wales in line with Scotland & England, ensuring cross-border consistency.

Read more 👇
beavertrust.org/welsh-govern...

A beaver walks into the water through the grass with text overlay saying "Beavers to be given European Protected Status and recognised as a native species in Wales"

1 3 17

Beaver Trust @beavertrust.bsky.social · 8d

Find out more about beaver biology on our website 👇

beavertrust.org/beaver-basic...

Beaver biology - Beaver Trust

the second largest rodent in the world Learn about the biology of a beaver What are beavers? Beavers are large rodents with adaptations for the aquatic environment: They have short limbs and their hin...

beavertrust.org

1 2

Beaver Trust @beavertrust.bsky.social · 8d

Ultimately, survival comes down to preparation.

In autumn, beaver families work tirelessly to stockpile food, ensuring their underwater larders are full.

So while beavers don’t hibernate, winter is still a season of endurance, inside their lodges, waiting for spring.

1 2

Beaver Trust @beavertrust.bsky.social · 8d

Beavers are well-equipped for this season.

They have thick winter coats, build up fat reserves in autumn, and can even lower their body temperature to conserve energy.

Despite this, older beavers often lose weight over winter, showing how demanding this time of year can be.

1 2

Beaver Trust @beavertrust.bsky.social · 8d

At high northern latitudes, where thick ice can cover ponds and rivers, beavers spend much of their time inside their lodges.

They only venture out to fetch food from their carefully built underwater caches.

In extreme cold, they rarely leave at all, only doing so for food.

1 2

Beaver Trust @beavertrust.bsky.social · 8d

The secret winter life of beavers

It’s a common misconception that beavers hibernate. In fact, they remain active all year round, even through the harshest winter months.

While many mammals retreat into hibernation, beaver activity drops, but they never truly switch off.

1 3 5

Beaver Trust @beavertrust.bsky.social · 10d

With thanks to Forestry England and the ‪@cairngormsnews.bsky.social‬ for their support.

Beaver Trust @beavertrust.bsky.social · 10d

All submissions of interest for talks and workshops must be completed using the online form on the conference website. We will not be taking submissions for posters at this time, but a call for scientific poster abstracts will open in early 2026.

1

Beaver Trust @beavertrust.bsky.social · 10d

Submissions now open for talks or workshops 📢

If you have new research, beaver mitigation or management practices or updates on policy you would like to share, we want to hear from you.

📅 Deadline: 5pm, 14th November
🔗 Submissions here: beavertrustevents.org

1 1 2

Beaver Trust @beavertrust.bsky.social · 17d

Last week, we were delighted to join the 10th International Beaver Symposium in Inverness, sharing our team’s research with experts from 23 countries, exchanging knowledge and exploring mitigation practices and the latest science.

#10IntBeavSymp @naturescot.bsky.social

1 4

Beaver Trust @beavertrust.bsky.social · 23d

These findings help equip conservationists with better tools to measure, monitor and plan for their role in restoring resilient landscapes.

Find out more by reading the paper 👇
www.nature.com/articles/s43...

@woods.stanford.edu @stanfordhai.bsky.social

Beaver Trust @beavertrust.bsky.social · 23d

New research shows a clear pattern: the longer a beaver dam, the larger the pond.

This consistent link across diverse landscapes offers a fresh perspective - and a powerful new way to map and understand beaver-made habitats.
‬
@luwenwan.bsky.social ‪@emilyfairfax.bsky.social

1 1

Beaver Trust @beavertrust.bsky.social · 28d

The Ness catchment offers 3,000+ ha of suitable habitat, low risks of negative impacts & high nature restoration potential. The events will gather views on opportunities & concerns that might come with this native species returning to waterbodies between Fort Augustus & Lochend.

3

Beaver Trust @beavertrust.bsky.social · 28d

We’re inviting communities in the Loch Ness area to join discussions on the potential return of beavers in partnership with @treesforlife.bsky.social.

Read the full story to find out more 👇
beavertrust.org/communities-...

1 1 5

Beaver Trust @beavertrust.bsky.social · Sep 9

The response to this vacancy has been incredible! Due to the high volume of applications, we’ve made the decision to close applications early. Applications will now close on Friday, the 12th of September.

A big thank you to everyone who has taken the time to apply so far.

Beaver Trust @beavertrust.bsky.social · Aug 28

If you’re passionate about nature, love storytelling and want to kickstart your career in the environmental sector, this could be the perfect role for you.

📅 Applications close at 9am, Monday 22 Sept 2025
👉 beavertrust.org/our-mission/...

#conservationjobs #communications

2 1

Beaver Trust @beavertrust.bsky.social · Sep 9

Update: Applications for our Communications Assistant role will now close on Friday, 12th September, due to the volume of applications received. Thank you for your interest and support for Beaver Trust.

1

Beaver Trust @beavertrust.bsky.social · Sep 3

“You just turn around a corner and see something fantastic and new — it’s amazing to watch.”

It's wonderful to see how Alan, Boudica & their family are thriving and the impacts they are having at Nene Wetlands.

Check out the rest of @wildlifebcn.org's recent Beaver Week content for more updates.

Wildlife Trust BCN @wildlifebcn.org · Aug 20

🦫Six months ago we released beavers at our Nene Wetlands Nature Reserve in Northants and they have been very busy!

It's Beaver Week here at the Wildlife Trust BCN - here's Ben to tell us how they have been helping regenerating the habitat.

Watch here 👇

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAzI...

Beaver Week Part One - Regeneration

YouTube video by Wildlife Trust for Beds, Cambs & Northants

www.youtube.com

2 3

Beaver Trust @beavertrust.bsky.social · Sep 2

Field Officer 1: Fixed-term, 1-year contract with the possibility of extension.
Field Officer 2: Temporary role covering maternity leave (not extendable).

Both are full-time and offer a unique chance to put your skills into action for nature’s recovery.

1

Beaver Trust @beavertrust.bsky.social · Sep 2

We’re looking for 2 Field Officers based in Perthshire to help deliver beaver conservation on the ground - from animal handling and translocations to data collection and monitoring.

📅 Applications close at 9am, Monday 22 Sept 2025
👉 beavertrust.org/our-mission/...

1 1

Beaver Trust @beavertrust.bsky.social · Aug 28

If you’re passionate about nature, love storytelling and want to kickstart your career in the environmental sector, this could be the perfect role for you.

📅 Applications close at 9am, Monday 22 Sept 2025
👉 beavertrust.org/our-mission/...

#conservationjobs #communications

1 1 1

Beaver Trust @beavertrust.bsky.social · Aug 27

Want to see it in action? Balancing the Scales private screenings are happening across Britain in small groups or local cinemas! 🎬

Host one or find a screening near you: [email protected].

Directed by Nina Constable Media, funded by The European Nature Trust.

1

Beaver Trust @beavertrust.bsky.social · Aug 27

Can beavers help reverse the catastrophic decline of Atlantic salmon, or do their dams hinder fish passage? Our Restoration Manager, Dr Robert Needham, explores this on the Tommy's Outdoors podcast.

🎧 Listen now: pod.fo/e/31d992

Tommy's Outdoors @tommysoutdoors.com · Aug 26

Can beavers save Britain's dying rivers? Are these ecosystem engineers the key to reversing the catastrophic decline of Atlantic salmon, or do their dams create barriers for struggling fish populations? Listen to the latest episode to find out all that we know about it! 🦤🌍🦊

🎧➡️ pod.fo/e/31d992

Podcast episode cover featuring two men in a split-screen video call format. On the left, a middle-aged man with greying hair and beard wearing a salmon-coloured t-shirt sits in an indoor setting with framed wildlife photographs visible on the wall behind him, including what appears to be images of wolves. On the right, the podcast host wears a dark green t-shirt and headphones with a microphone positioned in front of him, set against a natural outdoor background of lush green trees and foliage. The image has a green and gold colour scheme with "TOMMY'S OUTDOORS CONSERVATION AND SCIENCE" displayed prominently at the top and "PODCAST" at the bottom.

1 3 3