About this episode
Alan Puttock discusses the reintroduction of beavers to the River Otter and their ecological significance.
After near extinction and years of conservation efforts across the UK, the government announced earlier this year that beavers are finally being released back into the wild! Though to the beavers along the River Otter in East Devon, this is old news. Since they were first spotted in 2013, they have made a successful return across the catchment. The River Otter beaver Trial led by Devon Wildlife Trust was the first wild licenced beaver reintroduction project in England. Alan Puttock from the University of Exeter guides a stroll along the famous River Otter to search for signs of beavers. Hear about Alan’s research on nature-based solutions, landscape restoration and the key role beavers play in preserving biodiversity, improving water quality, and reducing drought and flooding. This walk was funded by Devon Community Foundation. ALAN PUTTOCK Geography University of Exeter Alan Puttock is an environmental scientist and ecohydrologist. In his research, he takes on an interdisciplinary approach to investigate nature-based solutions and landscape restoration. His current work focuses on natural flood management solutions to create more resilient landscapes as well as maximising the…
People in this episode
Guest: Alan Puttock
Topics covered
- environment
- biodiversity
- conservation
- ecology
- landscape restoration
Keywords
- beavers
- River Otter
- Devon Wildlife Trust
- nature-based solutions
- landscape restoration
- biodiversity
- water quality
- drought
- flooding
Mentioned in this episode
Places: the River Otter, UK, East Devon, England, River Otter
More episodes of Agile Rabbit
- Dame Ottoline Leyser | How Plants Decide What To Do : Thinking Like A Vegetable · May 29, 2026 · 41 min
- A History of Hip Hop · October 31, 2025 · 1h 0m
- Professor Nathan Mayne | Life Beyond Earth · October 19, 2025 · 44 min
- Dr Thomas Smith | Understanding Wildfires · July 9, 2025 · 40 min
- Christina Lamb | Years of Living Dangerously · May 2, 2025 · 36 min
- Joshua Howgego | The Meteorite Hunters · March 10, 2025 · 35 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Agile Rabbit podcast page.