Category: Woodlands

  • Great Oaks From Little Acorns Grow.

    By The Bevis Trust In , , , | October 31, 2017

    It’s been a good mast year for acorns and we’ve collected plenty. We are planting up about 7 hectares (17.3ac) of the steep north facing banks. Bracken is rapidly taking over on these banks and with Azulox being phased out, it is almost impossible to control it. The banks are too steep for a tractor…

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  • Visits and Events

    By The Bevis Trust In , , | February 16, 2017

    Yesterday we hosted a group of interested folks from both NRW and Carmarthen Council. Organised by Craig at JCR Planning, it was a great opportunity to talk to people about the work we are doing at Ricketts Mill and the broader beaver project. Over the past couple of weeks we have also attended the PONT…

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  • Natural Resources Policy

    By The Bevis Trust In , , | January 23, 2017

    Last week Jo and I attended the Natural Resources Policy Consultation Engagement Event in Cardiff. The title is certainly a mouthful and it was with some trepidation that we traveled to the capital, fearing perhaps some jargon laden attempt at schmoozing the environmental ‘stakeholders’. We could not have been more wrong, yes, of course there was a…

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  • Momentous News!

    By The Bevis Trust In , , | November 24, 2016

    It has just been announced that the beaver is now recognised as a native species in Scotland! The implications for the rest of the UK have yet to be seen but this can only be a positive step for the Welsh and English beaver reintroduction projects. Read more about it here

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  • Rewilding and More

    By The Bevis Trust In , | July 21, 2016

    Last week Jo and I attended a meeting at the Knepp Estate down in West Sussex. There, the owners Charlie Burrell and Izzie Tree have devoted their 3,500 acre estate to an ambitious re-wilding project.We took the opportunity to have a walk around some of the estate.   Later that evening I enjoyed staying in their…

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  • Grey Squirrels

    By The Bevis Trust In , , | July 12, 2016

    If anyone doubts the damage that grey squirrels can do in a young woodland here is an oak I came across. They have effectively killed this poor thing and many others in the wood. Oak, ash and beech have all been targets. Drew

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  • Beavers

    By The Bevis Trust In , | June 24, 2016

    We are pretty confident that the top and lake beavers now have kits but we are not sure about the middle beavers. Last night I spent a little time observing the pen and didn’t spot any kits but I did manage to get close to this chap. I sneaked up to the fence and he…

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  • Exploring

    By The Bevis Trust In , | June 17, 2016

    We are spending time exploring down at Ricketts Mill. Every visit turns up a new delight. From the many hundreds of tiny frogs to the burgeoning plant life. Over the next few months we’ll be making some important changes and we’ll keep you updated via the blog. The initial plan will be to soften the…

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  • 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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  • 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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