Training courses 2011

Dates TBC - European beaver
a wetland manager - 2 day course
A basic overview of the ecology, history and contemporary management of the European Beaver. There is now considerable interest in the reintroduction of this species as a keystone wetland manager into UK habitats. This course will focus on the history, ecology, life cycle and potential management requirements of the beaver in human generated environments. A single evening will be spent beaver watching in a large on site enclosure which will also be utilised for field sign observation. A second day site visit to an ideal beaver reintroduction site will consider the implications and potentialities of beaver restoration.

Open days and training workshops

Water vole handling training session

As part of our company commitment to conservation education and the dissemination of best practice we have developed a programme of specific water vole training opportunities for ecological professionals and conservation managers. The consultancy has been involved in advising on the development chapter of the recently “revised” species handbook which will significantly influence the practical nature and principal of water vole mitigation for development purposes. These one or two day courses are based at our operational centre near Exeter and focus on

· Water Vole Conservation
· Water Voles and Development.

Both the above have a strong practical content combining site visits, demonstrations of equipment and animal handling opportunities and are taught to the standards set in the new handbook.

Agenda for Water voles and Development course

• Introduction. Water vole biology, distribution and legal status - current and projected
• Updates to current species handbook of relevance to development mitigations
• Mitigation options for developers. Emphasis on site retention, displacement of small populations, fencing in or out, translocation, habitat creation and essential timing
• Considerations and requirements of detailed mitigation design
• Quantifying project outcome
• Techniques and equipment
• The essentials of trapping, handling, sexing and short term care
• Practical with live animals. Sexing, aging, handling, transpondering.
• Agenda for Water vole Conservation course
• Introduction to water vole conservation status. Theoretical recovery targets and their practical implications
• Updates to the current species handbook of relevance to conservation understanding
• The key components of water vole recovery. Habitat creation, mink control, reversing population fragmentation
• Considerations and requirements of large-scale habitat creation
  Meta population creation and protection
• Effective mink control. Procedure and design
• Captive breeding, reintroduction and translocation.
• Genetic management, practice, theory and requirements
• The practical management of captive water voles.

Accommodation for the courses is available locally - closest is the delightfully rural four-star accommodation of Frankaborough Farm – www.devonfarmcottage.co.uk