An underground network of wildlife enthusiasts is restoring rare species like boar, beaver, butterflies and pine marten without asking permission. Are they criminals or heroes?
Thanks for sharing, this was a very enjoyably written article!
Well wildlife is killed/habitat is removed without permission much much more frequently and is immensely more upsetting than this permissionless ‘beaver bombing.’ This was a particularly infuriating example from Aus - the punishment for ‘permissionless’ killing of Eagles - only $60 per eagle and 14 days in jail.
Ecologists have to jump through so many hoops for reveg/rewilding projects (not saying its a bad thing, we have rules for a reason) but it can still feel quite demoralising and frustrating when it hinders work that those with the local, on the ground expertise fully support… makes it hard not to smile when a passionate local takes matters into their own hands for the good of the environment. One of my best frog survey sites was almost certainly started with a bit of ‘guerilla frogging’ on the part of the landholder.
I’m Belgian. A coworker tells me regularly how he he sees beavers in the woods near where he lives (and foxes in his backyard, the man has to be a Disney princess). I had no idea about the secret backstory of the Belgian beavers, but I am delighted it happened.
Thanks for sharing, this was a very enjoyably written article!
Well wildlife is killed/habitat is removed without permission much much more frequently and is immensely more upsetting than this permissionless ‘beaver bombing.’ This was a particularly infuriating example from Aus - the punishment for ‘permissionless’ killing of Eagles - only $60 per eagle and 14 days in jail.
Ecologists have to jump through so many hoops for reveg/rewilding projects (not saying its a bad thing, we have rules for a reason) but it can still feel quite demoralising and frustrating when it hinders work that those with the local, on the ground expertise fully support… makes it hard not to smile when a passionate local takes matters into their own hands for the good of the environment. One of my best frog survey sites was almost certainly started with a bit of ‘guerilla frogging’ on the part of the landholder.
I’m Belgian. A coworker tells me regularly how he he sees beavers in the woods near where he lives (and foxes in his backyard, the man has to be a Disney princess). I had no idea about the secret backstory of the Belgian beavers, but I am delighted it happened.