Our two-week Rewilding & Reintroductions course this Summer was a fantastic success; from beaver watching to osprey nest building and butterfly surveys, trainees gained valuable practical skills while connecting with nature in meaningful ways.
One of the highlights was a visit to Moor Barton for an evening ‘Beaver Watch’. With great anticipation, the group waited quietly by the water – and their patience paid off! Just as the evening light faded three trainees were lucky enough to spot these fascinating, elusive creatures swimming, while the rest were thrilled to hear the distinctive sounds of the beavers gliding through the water and branches snapping and breaking as they moved around.
The osprey nest-building session was another exciting experience. Trainees built nests at ground level, giving them a clear understanding of the complexities involved in constructing a sturdy nest that would usually be eight metres up in the sky on a pole – a useful skill for future nature recovery projects.
Finally, the group took part in butterfly surveys, learning how to gather and interpret ecological data. This year has been a bumper year for butterflies, with dramatic increases in our rewilding fields compared to the last time we surveyed in 2023: 
Red admiral ↑ 192% Small tortoiseshell ↑ 66% Meadow brown ↑ 53%
These hands-on experiences are at the heart of what makes this course so unique and impactful. We love sharing real-world, up-to-date experiences to enable trainees to leave us not only with valuable skills but also with a deeper connection to nature, and a real sense of what it takes to make rewilding and species reintroductions a success.
Uschi Lebersorger, Communications Officer
