The National Trust has legally released into the wild a family and pair of Eurasian beavers at two sites as part of a wider release across the Holnicote Estate on Exmoor in Somerset, to contribute to one of the most ambitious and innovative river and wetland restoration efforts undertaken by the conservation charity.
Other animals will be released in areas where they can establish their own territories to engineer wetlands, build dams and shape diverse habitats to benefit other wildlife and communities alike.
The release across the catchment will also help to develop a robust and genetically diverse local population.
The wild release is the second by the charity granted under licence from Natural England since a major policy shift on species reintroductions in England came into force early last year, with the first wild release taking place on the National Trust’s Purbeck Estate in Dorset in March. It follows the two successful reintroductions into enclosed areas on the Holnicote Estate in 2020.
National Trust Project Manager Ben Eardley said: “This is incredibly exciting and is the latest step in our ambitions to restore a huge swathe of Somerset countryside and moorland to help bring back nature. Beavers are extraordinary partners in our work to restore nature at scale. Over the last few years, we’ve seen how their dams and wetlands transform the landscape, create habitat and help buffer both floods and drought.
“Each pair, or family need their own space. Across the Estate they will have the opportunity to develop their own territory, enabling them to create wetlands, ponds, build dams and enrich the landscape in ways only beavers can. These ‘ecosystem engineers’ play a vital role in slowing water flow, creating and holding wetland habitats, reducing erosion, improving water quality and the habitats they create will support a wide range of species.”
Nature Minister Mary Creagh said: “It was a privilege to witness beavers returning to Somerset. These extraordinary creatures are brilliant for biodiversity, reduce flood risk and improve water quality in our rivers. The return of beavers is a vital part of this government’s mission to protect and restore nature and we’re working closely with local communities to maximise their benefits.”
Natural England Chief Executive Marian Spain said: “We are delighted to have approved a second beaver release licence for the National Trust, following the success of their wild beaver release in Dorset last year. This latest release builds on a growing network of responsible, well-planned reintroductions across the region with the potential to make a huge difference to nature recovery.
“This work sits alongside our broader ambitions on Exmoor, where we’re partnering with the National Park and National Trust to restore dynamic habitats, trial innovative grazing approaches, and support the re-introduction of white-tailed eagles and pine martens – driving nature recovery at scale across this iconic landscape.”
For more news like this, click here.