A grant to enable the Sibthorp Trust to create and promote a film explaining and demonstrating the “Ecosystem Approach” – focussing on Beavers and the vital role they play in our local environment.

The Sibthorp Trust played a key role, together with the IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management and others, in the development of the Ecosystem Approach in the 1990s, breaking away from conventional environmental management at the time, and initiating more holistic, integrated solutions for ecosystem management.

Devon is a great place to demonstrate this approach, with its multitude of habitats, physical geographies, and river catchments leading to the sea on two coasts.

The film also links to a project funded by Devon Environment Foundation (and delivered by Devon Wildlife Trust) to help beaver populations in the Tamar Valley. The Tamar Beaver Management Group was created to ease landowner/beaver conflicts on the river Tamar and raise awareness of the many benefits that beavers bring to local communities and ecosystems.

DEF is collaborating with Sibthorp Trust on creating the film and using it to raise awareness of and fundraise for both organisations.

The film will be available through the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and its network of 1,400 members, as well as on Youtube and social media.

Big thanks to Olympus Power for generously enabling this project.

UPDATE MARCH 2024: The film has now been created and can be viewed below. Please watch and share to  raise awareness of the ecosystem approach and the vital role of Beavers in Devon’s ecosystems.