Latest news with #CzechNatureConservationAgency
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Beavers save the day after officials delay critical construction project for years: 'Absolutely fantastic'
"Nature finds a way" is a phrase frequently used to describe the resilience of the natural world. Apparently, there are also instances in which it can be used to describe the natural world's ability to complete government-sanctioned building projects in record time. A dam-building project in the Czech Republic has been in the works since 2018 but hasn't gone any further than conceptual discussions. Delays over land negotiations threw a bureaucratic wrench into the gears, according to the Guardian. The project was intended to protect critically endangered crayfish in the Klabava River by blocking overflow from nearby ponds. Given these intentions, one would hope those dams were built sooner rather than later. If it weren't for the local beaver population, "later" was the only item on the menu. Do you think America has a plastic waste problem? Definitely Only in some areas Not really I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Imagine the project planners' surprise when they found those aforementioned beavers had already done their work for them. They even went above and beyond the project's specifications, building four dams (and counting) while also creating a wetland with pools and canals. "It's full service: beavers are absolutely fantastic and when they are in an area where they can't cause damage, they do a brilliant job," said Bohumil Fišer of the Czech Nature Conservation Agency, according to the Guardian. Not only did these amazing rodent engineers complete the project for the Czech government, but they did it all for free. That adds up to an estimated $1.2 million in savings for the nation's taxpayers. This isn't the only instance of beavers doing Mother Nature's work. A Scottish project to reintroduce them into the Knapdale rainforests may have saved the endangered water vole population. Licensed beaver releases in England have also reinvigorated local ecosystems and helped prevent flooding. These areas flourished with plant and animal life long ago thanks to the wetland environments created by beaver dams but suffered when the creatures were hunted to near extinction. Their unique dam-building trait is an amazing example of the way one single species can serve as a linchpin for entire ecosystems. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
The Guardian
11-02-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Beavers save Czech taxpayers £800m by flooding ex-army training site
Beavers have saved Czech taxpayers $1m (£800m) by flooding a protected former army training site where a long-stalled dam was planned. Officials had hoped to build a barrier to shield the Klabava River and its population of critically endangered crayfish from sediment and acidic water spilling over from two nearby ponds. As a bonus it would turn a part of this protected area south of the capital, Prague, into a nature-rich wetland. First drafted in 2018, the project had a building permit but was delayed by negotiations over the land, long used by the military as training grounds. Yet before the excavators got the green light to begin digging, the herbivorous rodents set to work building a dam of their own. Bohumil Fišer from the Czech Nature Conservation Agency told AFP: 'They built a wetland with pools and canals. The area is roughly twice larger than planned.' The beaver family then moved on to a gulley encircling the ponds, in which the conservationists wanted to build little dams to allow overspill that would help flood the area. Among nature's great engineers, beavers have long been championed by environmentalists for their ability to protect against flooding, improve water quality and boost wildlife. So far the beavers have built at least four dams in the gulley and are currently working on more. Fišer, who manages the area, said: 'We were only discussing [building the dams in the gulleys] with the water company and the forest company which owns the land.' He said the estimated savings to the Czech purse reached 30m Czech koruna (£1m). Fišer said: 'It's full service: beavers are absolutely fantastic and when they are in an area where they can't cause damage, they do a brilliant job.' Despite the good beavers do to the land around them, the rodents have their critics, with farmers and others complaining of the destruction they cause by felling trees. But any farmers whose land could be at risk are located far from the site, which was declared a protected area in 2016. Fišer said: 'We don't expect any conflict with the beaver in the next 10 years.'
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Dam fine: beavers save Czech treasury $1 million
Beavers have saved Czech taxpayers a cool $1 million by flooding a protected former army training site where a long-stalled dam was planned, a conservation official said on Tuesday. Among nature's great engineers, beavers and their inventions have long been championed by environmentalists for their ability to protect against flooding, improve water quality and boost wildlife. Officials had hoped to build a barrier to shield the Klabava River and its population of critically endangered crayfish from sediment and acidic water spilling over from two nearby ponds. As a bonus it would turn a part of this protected area south of the capital Prague into a nature-rich wetland. First drafted in 2018, the project had a building permit but was delayed by negotiations over the land, long used by the military as training grounds. Yet before the excavators got the green light to begin digging, the herbivorous rodents set to work building a dam of their own. "They built a wetland with pools and canals," Bohumil Fiser from the Czech Nature Conservation Agency told AFP. "The area is roughly twice larger than planned." - 'Full service' - The beaver family then moved on to a gulley encircling the ponds, in which the conservationists wanted to build little dams to allow overspill that would help flood the area. So far the beavers have built at least four dams in the gulley and are currently working on more. "We were only discussing (building the dams in the gulleys) with the water company and the forest company which owns the land," said Fiser, who manages the area. Fiser said the estimated savings to the Czech purse reached some 30 million Czech koruna ($1.2 million). "It's full service, beavers are absolutely fantastic and when they are in an area where they can't cause damage, they do a brilliant job," he said. Despite the good beavers do to the land around them the furry mammals have their critics, with farmers and others complaining of the destruction they cause by felling trees. But any farmers whose land could be at risk are located far from the site, which was declared a protected area in 2016. "We don't expect any conflict with the beaver in the next 10 years," Fiser added. frj/kym/sbk
