Author Topic: Rewilding Britain  (Read 6819 times)

Owen

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Re: Rewilding Britain
« Reply #30 on: 08:13:53, 29/10/19 »
I found wolf prints in the sand near where I camped in Sarek NP northern Sweden. There were supposed to be Bear, Wolverine and Lynx but didn't see them unfortunately. Knowing that they were around didn't both me in face I found it quite exciting. Their population density is very low so the likelihood of a chance encounter is very remote.

EnglishHiker

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Re: Rewilding Britain
« Reply #31 on: 10:38:38, 29/10/19 »
I think I'd feel I would need some kind of protection just in case. Specially where bears are concerned.
I might have an American media induced irrational fear though, of a bear poking its head into my tent one night or stumbling across a mother bear and her cubs... ;D


We have boar now in the UK right? And lynx?
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Jac

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Re: Rewilding Britain
« Reply #32 on: 11:13:47, 29/10/19 »
I think I'd feel I would need some kind of protection just in case. Specially where bears are concerned.
I might have an American media induced irrational fear though, of a bear poking its head into my tent one night or stumbling across a mother bear and her cubs... ;D

We have boar now in the UK right? And lynx?

Lots of wild boar, yes, but no lynx to the best of my knowledge.

Seeing a bear, face to face at 10 metres, was the highlight of my walking holiday in the Polish Tatra mountains.
« Last Edit: 14:16:46, 29/10/19 by Jac »
So many paths yet to walk, so little time left

fernman

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Re: Rewilding Britain
« Reply #33 on: 11:20:31, 29/10/19 »
We have boar now in the UK right? And lynx?

And beavers.

Owen

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Re: Rewilding Britain
« Reply #34 on: 12:04:19, 29/10/19 »
No Lynx at present but their are some who want to release them.

barewirewalker

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Re: Rewilding Britain
« Reply #35 on: 13:41:36, 29/10/19 »
How will rewilding affect access? There is no legal or moral requirement on freehold for the occupier of our countryside to consider how their occupation affects the communities need to access the countryside.
We see the imbalance in favour of the freeholder in many ways, a new bridge across a town byepass, which cuts the population off from their surrounding open spaces yet the value off putting in new rights of way cannot be established.

Listening to the program on Countryfile last night the proposers were so sure of the good they were going to do for conservation the modern need to access countryside for the health of the nation was not mentioned.
We have laws, regulations and established practices on how the conduct of access is allowed, do these fit in with yet another vested interest promoting that their occupation is going to benefit all?
Suppose a beaver builds a dam and a right of way is flooded. There is a parallel in the Ceiriog valley, where the river Ceriog has eroded a few yards of the PRoW, as the freeholder of the land blocks the only feasible alternative way, part of a 1/2mile way is rendered useless and the whole way of 1 1/5 miles fails to provide a route of significance.
 There will be countless of practical examples of the needs of the minority enthusiast being given precedence over a greater public need. How possible is it to get a simple PRoW deviation to correct an obvious public danger from traffic yet the landowner, who blocks it is safe from H&S investigation.
BWW
Their Land is in Our Country.

Owen

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Re: Rewilding Britain
« Reply #36 on: 14:06:02, 29/10/19 »
How will releasing wild animals affect access? Not much I wouldn't think.


Where beaver's have built across a footpath in Knapdale they've built a floating pontoon to divert the path around the pond.

Jac

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Re: Rewilding Britain
« Reply #37 on: 14:44:26, 29/10/19 »
Devon Wildlife Trust's River Otter 5 year beaver trial - originating from beavers who rewilded themselves about ten years ago (from where is still not admitted but most likely from a nearby wildlife park) - now has 'seven family groups living wild in East Devon and a further six areas of activity which may be territories of young pairs or solitary beavers' Quoted from the DWT magazine which arrived today.
Hopefully, they'll be permitted to remain when the DEFRA licenced trial ends. In fact it would probably be difficult to remove them all now as I understand that they are well spread into the tributaries of the R. Otter from where it is but a short bimble into the other rivers originating in the Blackdown Hills. Perhaps they have already as the report states 'East Devon' rather than river Otter.
So many paths yet to walk, so little time left

barewirewalker

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Re: Rewilding Britain
« Reply #38 on: 22:49:33, 29/10/19 »
How will releasing wild animals affect access? Not much I wouldn't think.
I used the example of beavers altering the landscape as a snap example, it is those people / organizations promoting wilding, who may well alter the access network, to suit their own purposes.
After all the footpaths in the Ceriog valley probably remained open for centuries, whilst it was a local way to the Llanarmon DC church, but when it became PRoW the landowner jumped at the chance for closure and used this example to back up the argument for closure on a petition to No 10 Downing Street.
Where beaver's have built across a footpath in Knapdale they've built a floating pontoon to divert the path around the pond.
This the situation now; the site is being used as a flagship example of a conservation experiment with money spare for the path rescue, what happens when they have to become self sustaining?

After all the Definitive Map was intended as a promise of access to all of our countryside for the sacrifices two generations made in 2 World Wars so that their heirs would have the freedom of their countryside.
It was in fact supposed to be a War Memorial, not a short cut for lawyers and estate agents to be able to prove where private land starts and finishes.

I may be a bit cynical, but there are too many examples of where this ideal has been derailed, so I remain suspicious of one more well meaning interest occupying our countryside and the integrity of ways not being properly understood or safeguarded.
BWW
Their Land is in Our Country.

ninthace

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Re: Rewilding Britain
« Reply #39 on: 05:36:55, 30/10/19 »
Where wild animals have been successfully reintroduced, of rare ones have been encouraged to breed they draw more people to the area in the hope of seeing them, think Ospreys in Scotland and the Lakes as an example.  This leads to the growth of footpaths and pressure for more and improved access. Granted in the short term there may be restrictions on access while the critters breed and become established but in the longer term they are an asset.
Solvitur Ambulando

vghikers

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Re: Rewilding Britain
« Reply #40 on: 08:43:52, 30/10/19 »
Quote
Where wild animals have been successfully reintroduced, of rare ones have been encouraged to breed they draw more people to the area in the hope of seeing them...

Every silver lining has a cloud  :(

barewirewalker

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Re: Rewilding Britain
« Reply #41 on: 09:18:18, 30/10/19 »
Assuming generalities from a few observations is risky, I think there is a lot of truth in Ninthace's post, however I would not like to give carte blanche to conservationist without investigating some of the counter situations. One springs to mind;
There is a gorge on the River Theme just west of Ludlow. So beautiful by repute that it was part of a leisure walk landscaped by one of the Georgian or Victorian landowners, however the land has little agricultural value, so it was off loaded to some nature organization. There are non highway bridges at either end, one a right of way the other not, but strong circumstantial evidence that it is a lost public way.
The warden upto 10 years ago arranged bi-yearly visits through the gorge and by all reports these were more of a personal ego trip for himself rather than a true allowance of access. I know a person who lived in the neighbourhood of this person, who promoted himself as a great conservationist, yet his local reputation as a control freak was well established. The legacy from the occupation is no permissive way along this beauty spot, which could highlight the second bridge as a strong contender for further access. If that was so it would show on even a cursory glance at an Explorer map a route that joins Ludlow to a station on the central Wales line.



This would be a significant step in creating an A1 route across the South of Shropshire, a county that only has a meandering circular route as it main contribution to the countries access and manages to block the East to West approach to the Welsh border from the densely populated Midlands on South, Mid and North bands.

Sorry but I would like to see more recognition that withholding keys parts of our countryside and infrastructure that can benefit access needs to be understood before we risk making a class of occupier more reactionary than the hereditary landowners, who still need to come clean about the political crime they perpetrated.
« Last Edit: 09:21:45, 30/10/19 by barewirewalker »
BWW
Their Land is in Our Country.

ninthace

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Re: Rewilding Britain
« Reply #42 on: 09:29:42, 30/10/19 »
Every silver lining has a cloud  :(
Think it through vg.  The car park and paths will there all year, the tourists won’t be.  It’s all about timing.
Solvitur Ambulando

fernman

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Re: Rewilding Britain
« Reply #43 on: 09:30:24, 30/10/19 »
A couple of days ago I glanced over a news headline stating that wild cats are going to be reintroduced to England, but searching online now it appears to be just a re-hash of an article that appeared in The Independent in May.

What it boils down to is that an animal breeder in Devon plans to release some wild cat kittens into his own enclolsures, and he has pipe dreams of releasing them into the wild. (Hope you like pussy cats, Ninthace!) As expected, the National Farmers Union were a bit huffy about it.

@BWW who has just posted, you seem to be going off at a bit of a tangent? While the case you cite is interesting to read, I see little connection with 'rewilding Britain'.

barewirewalker

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Re: Rewilding Britain
« Reply #44 on: 09:35:19, 30/10/19 »
@BWW who has just posted, you seem to be going off at a bit of a tangent? While the case you cite is interesting to read, I see little connection with 'rewilding Britain'.
I think my thinking is not beware the animals you introduce, more beware the humans, their organizations and ambitions who introduce them.
BWW
Their Land is in Our Country.

 

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