On Wednesday, May 25th, 2022, we presented beaver at the nature education day for the 9th grade pupils of Radlje ob Dravi primary school.
We carried out 3 out-of-school workshops near the Drava River. At one of the workshops, we presented beaver and otter in detail. We compared the two mammals, rodent, and carnivore, and presented the differences in their anatomy, ecological needs and lifestyle. The pupils also learned of the history of beaver in Slovenia and Europe and its return from the brink of extinction. We had stuffed animals with us (all killed as the result of traffic), skulls, excrements, footprints as well as castoreum liquid which they could smell from a sample in a vile. Castoreum was used in the past as a highly renowned compound in traditional medicine for various ailments. What was not possible to present »live«, was presented through detailed drawings and photographs.
We discussed about why beavers are beneficial for the environment as well as for humans.
The second workshop was about freshwater invertebrates and their role in water quality determination. We were also discussing why it is important to protect the coastal lands and why natural watercourses are more beneficial for nature and humans than the regulated ones.
Lutra Institute carries out such and similar workshops for children as well as adults – if you wish to receive more information and are interested in organising such an event in your local area or school, you can e-mail us on info@lutra.si.
