Public urged to go wild for beavers

Crucial moment for ‘nature’s engineers’ as consultation closes 17 November

The Wildlife Trusts are asking the public to support plans that could see beavers released into the wild in England.

To date, the only officially sanctioned beavers living wild in the UK are in Scotland and along the River Otter in Devon, where Devon Wildlife Trust has worked with the local community to monitor the animals over several years.

The Wildlife Trusts believe beavers should be allowed to return to the wild across the UK and expand their range naturally. For the beaver strategy to achieve its full potential for nature and climate, they are calling on the Government to:

Formally recognise beavers as a native species in England
Support ambitious and carefully targeted reintroduction projects
Reward landowners who make space for wetlands created by beavers
Adopt management systems that protect beavers and resolve problems effectively
Support local beaver management groups to deliver advice and assistance

beaver eating foliage — David Parkyn - David Parkyn/ Cornwall Wildlife Trust

Beavers are considered a ‘keystone species’, which means they have a highly positive impact on their environment. The animals have a unique ability to restore and maintain important wetland habitats, which are crucial for supporting other wildlife and helping to tackle climate change.

The Wildlife Trusts are at the forefront of beaver reintroduction in the UK and have released a record number of beavers in 2021 – twenty years after they brought the first-ever beavers back to Britain.

Dr Rob Stoneman, director of landscape recovery at The Wildlife Trusts, says:

“Beavers are brilliant animals and, following several trials, we’ve already seen how reintroduction can have such a positive impact for nature, climate, and people too. Beavers can help to improve water quality, benefit other species, reduce flood risk and, by creating new wetlands, contribute to carbon storage as well.

“Ultimately, we want to see free-living beavers across the UK to help restore nature and tackle the climate emergency. The Wildlife Trusts have the experience and expertise of managing these animals effectively and working with landowners and communities to ensure any issues are resolved quickly and efficiently. If we’re serious about putting nature into recovery, we need to see beavers introduced into the wild.”

Five years of research by Devon Wildlife Trust shows that:

Beavers create a fantastic range of wetland habitats that provide homes for other wildlife and greatly enhance conditions for nature to thrive and store carbon
The channels, dams and wetlands that beavers engineer hold back water and release it more slowly after heavy rain, helping to reduce the risk of flooding
Their activities prevent soil being washed away after rainfall – their dams filter water, cleaning it and reducing pollution downstream

Once the consultation closes on 17^th November, the Government will publish a strategy in response, setting out the framework for future beaver reintroductions and support for landowners who make space for beavers on their land. The Wildlife Trusts are asking people to respond to the consultation here.