Category: Bevis Trust

  • The Year Moves On

    By The Bevis Trust In , , | May 29, 2016

    Lots of neighbours are on the silage now. The pattern of farming is changing each year. Two of our neighbours have died and their land is let to another neighbour who has committed big time to dairying and built new sheds. So contractors are whizzing round the lanes in massive tractors taking the cut grass…

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  • Progress

    By The Bevis Trust In | May 20, 2016

    The beaver hide is coming along nicely… A turf roof and waney-edged larch boards should go on in the next few days.

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  • New Woodlands

    By The Bevis Trust In | May 19, 2016

    We have some steep north facing slopes on the farm that are gradually being taken over by encroaching bracken. Azulox has been phased out for spraying bracken and the slopes are too steep for machinery. Even with heavy grazing or hoof pressure there is no realistic cost-efficient way of controlling the bracken and we are…

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  • Willow casts a critical eye over the new hide

    By The Bevis Trust In , | May 17, 2016

    Willow casts a critical eye over the new hide.

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  • Eggs!

    By The Bevis Trust In | May 16, 2016

    At this time of year all the birds are busy nesting. The males are singing their hearts out proclaiming their territories and everyone is busy building nests and incubating eggs. Yesterday some geese took off heading towards the lake, and one of them shed a tiny white fluffy feather. As the feather drifted down, a…

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  • Hide Building

    By The Bevis Trust In , | May 12, 2016

    We are busy planking up some of the larch that Nick planted over 30 years ago. It’s great to be able to use our home grown timber on projects such as the new hide.    

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  • Rewilding and More

    By The Bevis Trust In | May 10, 2016

    I attended a conference titled ‘Re-wilding Dorset’ last week. I stayed overnight with Bevis Trust Trustee Kate Hall, whose husband Tim is Farm Manager on the Cranbourne Estate. This estate formerly had a shoot based on farmed gamebirds but recently Lord Cranbourne has decided to switch solely to wild indigenous Grey Partridges. Whatever one’s views…

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  • Beavers

    By The Bevis Trust In | May 9, 2016

    I’m spending far too much time lurking in the bushes by the water with my field-glasses hoping to see a female exposing her nipples. Hang on! It’s not what you’re thinking (those days are well over). The thing is, beavers have their kits about now but for six weeks or so they keep them safely…

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  • A New Beaver Hide

    By The Bevis Trust In | May 9, 2016

    Today has seen the start of the new beaver hide on the lake. The uprights are in place and tomorrow we should get the floor in.

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  • Moorhens

    By The Bevis Trust In , | May 7, 2016

    She’s been laying an egg a day, should be a good brood this year. Let’s hope the legions of egg thieves can keep their paws and beaks to themselves.

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