Herald - Issue 403

Page 18 • The HERALD • 11th March 2021 v FOR GOOD ADVICE - ASK YOUR LOCAL SPECIALISTS v New Forest Scaffolding All aspects of scaffolding undertaken • Extensions • Chimneys • Re-Roofing • New Builds etc For a friendly, local, reliable service and a free quotation Telephone: 07734 476855 www.newforestscaffolding.co.uk Full Liability Insurance Lychette Cottage, Roughdown, Blackfield SO45 1XG Acorn Building Contracts Ltd u Reliable, local builders offering affordable, quality workmanship u Our employees are fully qualified and fully insured u All aspects of building undertaken including extensions, structural alterations, roofing, ground works, kitchens, bathrooms, carpentry and plastering u Drawings arranged u Insurance work undertaken u Local Authority Approved Contractor For free quotations and friendly advice please call Office: 023 8024 3336 Mobile: 07786 656865 Email: acornbuilding@googlemail.com or visit our website: www.acorn-builders.co.uk You will not be disappointed M.D.S. DIGITAL INSTALLS/SERVICE • DIGITAL AERIALS/FREEVIEW • SKY DIGITAL/FREESAT DIGITAL • EXTRA TELEVISION POINTS • TELEPHONE LINES/POINTS • TELEVISION SYSTEMS SETUP/TUNED • WALL MOUNTED TV’S QUALIFIED, FAST FRIENDLY SERVICE FREE SURVEYS/QUOTES BEAULIEU: 01590 611011 MOBILE: 07717 194441 • New flooring & repairs • Interior & exterior fitted windows & doors • Fitted kitchens • Stairs & decking • Architrave & skirting • Pergolas & car ports • Gates made & fitted • Bespoke Summer houses • Garden structures & landscaping structures • Roofing & Fencing • Fencing • Structural wooden repairs James Powell Carpentry Jamespowellcarpentry.co.uk and find on Check a Trade Contact 07500 113098 Call for a no obligation quote Send your local news to The Editor, The Herald, 2 High Street, Hythe SO45 6AH 2021 – The Year of the Beaver The Wildlife Trusts are releasing a record number of beavers in 2021 – twenty years a er bringing the rst ever beavers back to Britain. Plans developed by UK Wildlife Trusts, including Dorset, Hampshire, and the Isle of Wight, would see new beaver families moving into these counties for the rst time if licences are granted. These industrious herbivores are native to mainland Britain but were hunted to extinction in the 16th century by people who wanted their fur, meat, and scent glands. e loss of beavers led to the loss of the mosaic of lakes, meres, mires, tarns, and boggy places that they were instrumental in creating. eir ability to restore and maintain important wetland habitats is why reintroducing this species is so important. Craig Bennett, chief executive of e Wildlife Trusts says : “Beavers are a fantastic keystone species that have a hugely important role to play in restoring nature to Britain. It’s brilliant to see Wildlife Trusts across the UK ensuring a better future for wetlands and for a wealth of other wildlife by bringing back beavers whose engineering capabilities inject new life into wild places. The benefits for people are clear – beavers help stop flooding downstream, filter out impurities and they create new homes for otters, water voles and kingfishers. What’s more, people love seeing them and their presence boosts tourism in the countryside. We live in one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world which is why we have a big ambition to protect 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030. We’re calling on the government to come up with an ambitious strategy to enable beavers to return to help tackle the climate crisis and improve wetlands for wildlife.” Dorset Wildlife Trust On Monday 8th February two beavers were released at an enclosed site in Dorset following feasibility studies and careful monitoring to look at the di erence they could make to an enclosed wetland. Following several years of preparation, including installing a specialist fence to enclose the site and recording baseline data with experts from University of Exeter and Wessex Water, the pair of Eurasian beavers ( Castor fiber ), an adult male and female, are now settling in. Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust Subject to a successful licence application, the Trust plans to release beavers on the Isle of Wight for the rst time. e results from the Trust’s feasibility research on their reserves in the Eastern Yar were incredibly positive and show the habitat would be well suited to beavers – it is hoped that they can be o cially released into an open area, rather than fenced enclosures. e Trust is looking forward to discussions with landowners and local communities about a potential beaver release over the course of the year. Adult beaver at Knapdale, Scottish Wildlife Trust © Steve Gardner Hampshire County Council’s safeguarding duties to children, young people and adults remain a priority, with services operating fully to ensure support is available. Anyone worried about their own safety, or that of a child or adult they know, should contact: • For a child or young person, call Children’s Services on: 0300 555 1384 • For an adult, call Adults’ Health and Care on: 0300 555 1386 In an emergency, dial: 999. n addition to the safeguarding telephone lines, the County Council also commissions support for victims of domestic abuse. Help can be sought from Hampshire’s Domestic Abuse Service website and via Facebook, where you can send a private message via Messenger: www.facebook.com/southerndas A telephone helpline: 03300 165 112 is sta ed from 11.30am to 2.30pm, Monday to Friday. Safeguarding Hampshire Residents