KNOWLEDGE BASE

Exploring the experiences of steering group members in a Eurasian beaver project, this research aims to identify how governance of coexistence with reintroduced species may differ from the governance of coexistence with species that are already present in the landscape.
A series of lessons in six key areas were identified, and the paper advocates for reflective evaluation as an essential component of reintroduction projects to enable knowledge-sharing from experiences, leading to improved practices in the future.
The term ‘Renewed Coexistence’ was identified and defined, drawing on pre-existing coexistence knowledge but identifies the unique elements that relate to governing coexistence with reintroduced species.

Peatlands are often remote and difficult to access. Thus, in this study, researchers tested out remote sensing methods to track beaver dams and impoundments in a peatland area of the USA. The aim was to understand beavers' impacts and activity over three decades. Overall, the researchers found that beaver activity had increased in this time, and discussed the advantages and limitations of several different remote sensing methods.

Reintroducing Eurasian beavers to England involved a trial reintroduction in the southwest. This article reported on a 'mental model analysis' which was tested on stakeholders during this trial. The model aimed to improve the likelihood of reintroduction success by better understanding the potential for social conflict and whether certain actions can effectively mitigate this conflict. In this case, the analysis showed diverging views among stakeholders (which could hinder beaver acceptance) but that the conservation measures taken were helping maintain support. The authors suggested that such analyses can improve human-beaver relations.

This article confirmed that Eurasian beavers had arrived in northeastern Bulgaria, marking the first appearance of beavers in the country for over 150 years. The document contained photos of their habitat and activity, and other forms of evidence such as sightings of a local fisherman. The authors suggest these beavers likely originated from successful reintroductions in neighbouring Romania.

Following on from confirmed sightings in the Tuscany region, this article presented new evidence of Eurasian beavers across Central Italy. New sightings in the Umbria and Marcheregions suggested a wider distribution than previously thought. The article contains a map of all known beaver populations in Italy and photographs of some of the new evidence (e.g. gnawed tree trunks). The authors suggested that authorities should resist reacting immediately with strong management action. They suggested first conducting more thorough monitoring and consideration of local peoples' perpsectives, taking the case of Spain as a comparative example.