Poland - 2007
We visited the Bieszczady Mountains in May 2007 during a period of glorious weather with a land-use study group from Sparsholt College in Hampshire. The principal tour aim was to examine how the biodiversity of the region was being influenced by land-use changes driven by cultural, legislative or social adjustment. Although forestry, subsistence farming, hunting and nature conservation have all been affected perhaps the single greatest opportunity for wildlife stems from the complete collapse of the once mighty agricultural collectives of the communist era. A developing tourist industry linked to the landscape, heritage and ecology of this mountainous region is delivering an additional economic impetus for change.

This week long tour met experts from different interest groups providing an eye- opening experience for the group. Large carnivore researchers, hunters and national park ecologists presented frequently contradictory and passionate perspectives of their different interests.

Although we found plenty of bear, wolf and bison tracks in the company of the local large carnivore specialist we had no real expectation of spotting these creatures. It was therefore a real surprise when two of the group members climbing on a separate excursion were actually followed by a young wolf. They were able to photograph this yearling which followed them for several hundred yards along a trail before disappearing back into the forest.

This fantastic sighting formed the highlight of a week of marvellous wildlife spotting opportunities. A walk along the valley of the San river presented excellent photographic opportunities of sunning adders, aesculapian and grass snakes. Common and sand lizards proliferated on exposed banks and calling male field crickets although hard to spot were quite obviously abundant! The alpine meadows above the tree line of mount Wyzna provided ideal whinchat and water pipit habitat. Globe and pasque flowers were common in this area while yellow bellied toads, alpine and montadon’s newts were observed in temporary pools created by vehicle ruts. In lower valley meadows marsh orchid communities grazed by hutsul horses abounded in woodland ringlet, marbled skipper, map and pale clouded yellow butterflies. Carpathian blue slugs were discovered lurking in the ancient beech forests of the upper San river valley which also harboured spectacular orange and black fire salamanders in fallen timber and shallow streams. Both red deer and red squirrels were spotted in the Silver fir forests along with nutcrackers and black woodpeckers. A trip to the self-sufficient eco-frontiers ranch where a host of different habitats provide living opportunities for a wealth of wildlife from beavers to bears was followed by a dusk drive through the edge of the national park where black beavers, Ural owls, a pine marten and foraging red deer hinds with calves were observed. A final day tour to Tarnica bog provided excellent views of lesser spotted eagles, rose finches and Black storks circling over head on thunder storm clouds.

Amongst these incredible memories a real personal highlight was an afternoon spent sitting next to a beaver dam on sunny afternoon watching grass snakes catching tadpoles in their jaws as a family of water shrews hunted like wind-up bath toys through the reeds along the waters edge.

Guides were Derek and Greg.

Bavaria - 2007
An excursion to Bavaria for the Wildland Group in September offered an in depth opportunity to explore the issues arising from presence of European beavers in an intensively developed landscape. Unsurprisingly it had a strong ‘beavery’ theme although the latter half of the week focused on the challenges the region is experiencing from re-colonising large carnivores.

The group visited commercial and community woodlands, carp hatcheries, agricultural areas together with dams, lodges and pools. There was a fascinating visits to the water management authorities of Ingoldstadt to see a ranged of well established techniques which are employed to prevent beavers burrowing into flood banks. Excellent evening presentations on the issues involved provoked strong debate into the small hours of several nights.

Gerhard in his own inimical fashion provided a practical demonstration of beaver handling and sexing techniques and a few guests took the once in the life-time opportunity to cuddle and photograph a baby beaver. This tour allowed time to visit both of the excellent animal parks in the Bavarian forest park for photographic opportunities of European bison, aurochsen, lynx, bears and wolves.

The guides were Derek and Gerhard.