Lecture about the beaver

Under the title ‘The Beaver: All Over the News! Is It Undermining Its Own Success…?’ Willy de Koning will give a lecture on the beaver at IVN Laarbeek. This lecture will be held in the IVN building De Bimd.

Willy de Koning, originally from Sittard, has been tracking and filming beavers for nearly 20 years, mostly in Limburg, but also in the Biesbosch, among other places. Using the vast amount of footage and acquired knowledge, she has already compiled various films featuring a complete and up-to-date account of the beaver.

During this lecture, using a colorful and multifaceted presentation, she will discuss the beaver’s way of life, its physical characteristics, the many types of tracks the animal leaves behind, its habitat, its adaptability, and its influence on the environment. Furthermore, the causes of the beaver’s disappearance about 200 years ago will be addressed, as well as the reintroductions that have taken place since the 1980s. She focuses on the regional beaver population and addresses current discussions regarding beavers causing a nuisance.

She also screens her film ‘Beavers in the Netherlands’. Even for experts, these images are quite surprising: beavers on land and in the water, gnawing beavers, beavers making scent marks, young beavers making endearing sounds from the lodge, playful wrestling between adult beavers and their young, and beavers grooming their fur at their leisure.

Naturally, there is much to tell about her adventures with beavers during the countless hours spent on the riverbank and in her canoe. In 2012, a book about her experiences with beavers was published by KNNV under the title ‘Evenings at the Waterside’. Furthermore, she contributed to the feature film ‘Holland, Nature in the Delta’ (2015), for which she made video and audio recordings, and to various items about beavers on regional and national radio and television. For the book ‘Gewilde Dieren’ (2021) about animal reintroductions in the Netherlands, she wrote a chapter about the beaver.

Willy de Koning gives lectures throughout the country and brings along numerous beaver paraphernalia, such as a beaver fur coat, beaver teeth and a beaver skull, beaver droppings, and branches with beaver gnaw marks. She also takes the time to answer questions.

Admission is free, but you must register in advance via the email address. You can pay for refreshments in cash or via a QR code.
More information about IVN Laarbeek can be found on the website and on the IVN Facebook page.