Tour Summary:
This is a unique opportunity to see the most established beaver-created wetland in the west country. The Enclosed Beaver Project began in 2011 as an experiment run by Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT) to study the effect of beavers on wetland wildlife. You will get to see the extraordinary effect of the beaver’s behaviour on a small watercourse – over the last decade the beavers have created 13 dams and an amazing mosaic of wetland habitats. Much of the scientific evidence on the wider benefits of beavers has been collected on this site, the tour will include aspects of this. 

Important: This is not a tour to see beavers, it is purely to experience and learn about the habitat they create.
If you would like to see beavers, please book an evening beaver watching tour on this site using the Booking tab at the top of this page.
To book this Wetland Day tour you must book through Mark directly: Mark.Wetlands@gmail.com

TOUR DESCRIPTION

Visits to the Enclosed Beaver Site will be tailored to suit your needs. They can be arranged for private individuals or for organisations. A visit to the beaver site can make an unusual team building day or Christmas outing, or can form part of a more detailed training event on beaver ecology and management on request.

Your guide for this tour is Mark Elliott, the wetland ecologist and beaver expert who ran this project from the beginning, until he left DWT in early 2022. On booking you will be provided with a meeting location about 4 miles from the Enclosed Beaver Site, where you will be met by your tour guide. You will follow him in your car to the site where you will park in a country lane, and walk about 300m to the 3 ha (7 acre) enclosure.

Once in the enclosure, you will be guided around the site, focusing on those areas where the beavers are having the greatest impacts, and see the tell-tale feeding signs and dam building behaviour. This site is where much of the early scientific research was carried out on hydrology and water quality, and has since included more detailed research into the effects of beavers on biodiversity.

Depending on the water levels, you may need to wade through shallow water to reach some areas, and occasionally climb over trees felled by beavers. The tour will include plenty of time to discuss many aspects of the beavers’ behaviour and their reintroduction into this country. A typical tour of the site will take approximately 2 hours, and you will then be taken back to your car, from where you will make your way home. Meeting times will be 10am, and the tour will finish by 12.30.

Background to the Enclosed Beaver Project

For more background information on the Enclosed Beaver Project or beaver reintroduction, visit the Devon Wildlife Trust website: www.devonwildlifetrust.org/what-we-do/beavers

Beavers fell trees with their teeth to build dams, which slow the flow of water, reduce the risk of flooding, and help filter chemical fertilisers like nitrogen and phosphates out of the water, according to a five year study by Exeter University.

Supporting landowners and conservation

Part of your booking fee will go directly to supporting the landowner of the Enclosed Beaver Site. This helps to provide an incentive for allowing the beavers to create habitats on his farm, and we believe is a good model for encouraging others to do the same.
An additional discretionary donation to the Beaver Fund can also be made on booking, and will be used to help future beaver projects in the South West working with Devon Beaver & Wildlife Tours and Devon Wildlife Trust.

Groups and Training

Group visits for conservation organisations and others are also available and can be tailored to your needs. Visits can include more detail on beaver field signs and their ecology and survey techniques, and an introduction to the ecosystem services that they provide.
A morning visit to the beaver enclosure is an ideal team building activity, or a novel way to start any works Christmas party!

2024 Dates, Prices & Booking

Pick- ups and drop-offs available to/from Okehampton Train Station if required.
Winter and Spring are the best time to see the beaver dams and the beaver feeding signs.
Please email Mark below

Tour Price: £60 per person (10 – 16yr olds = £20)
Months: All year round (although best months to see beaver signs are between November and May)
Location: Private farmland near Okehampton in West Devon
Duration: Approx. 2.5 hours (10am – 12.30pm)
Minimum Number: 2 people
Maximum Number: 10 people (larger groups available on request)
To book this tour you must book through Mark directly: Mark.Wetlands@gmail.com