Calling Ecological Statisticians: Join Our Project at Spains Hall Estate!

In 2019, Spains Hall Estate introduced beavers as part of a groundbreaking nature recovery and natural flood management initiative. Since their arrival, the beavers have thrived, transforming the landscape in remarkable ways.

Learn more about the project here.

Each summer, we’ve conducted an extensive botanical survey to study the ecological impact of the beavers. The survey methods were originally designed as an experiment to test new approaches. After five years of collecting data, we’re looking to evaluate the effectiveness of our methodology.

Questions we’re keen to explore include:

1. Are the survey design, sample patterns, and number of points statistically robust?
2. Do we have sufficient data to use generalized linear modeling (GLM) to predict changes in vegetation on other sites?
3. How accurate is GPS for identifying sample points?
4. How effective is photogrammetry in analyzing canopy and ground cover?

You are also invited to join us to assist with the next botanical survey, scheduled for 19–22 June 2025. This is a fantastic opportunity to gain hands-on experience of how the data was gathered. It will be midsummer, the days are long, and the Essex countryside wil be at its most beautiful.

We’d love to hear from you!