Last end of the week, we participated at a hunting-fishing-nature fair in Gornja Radgona. Placards, brochures and pamphlets were used to present current and past Lutra Institute projects. We also set up a stall, where visitors could observe up close a stuffed beaver and an otter, their footprints and excrements as well as learn first-hand information from a biologist present at the stall. The discussion was mainly focused on the importance of these animals for our natural environment as well as humans. We presented possibilities of improving living with beavers as well as preventative measures from the possible damage which could occur to our properties and trees. We also discussed the benefits which the beaver brings, as well as of the importance of wetlands and the land adjacent to the streams and river banks. The visitors were of various opinions; some had the idea, that we need to start to actively work with beavers. Others agreed that the land belongs to humans as well as animals and that each animal has its own space and role in the wider ecosystem. The conclusion also was that us, humans, need to adapt and learn how to co-habit.
