Credit: David Parkyn
Beavers can help
The planet is in climate crisis and we regularly face the opposite extremes of flooding and hosepipe bans. On top of this, wildlife numbers are plummeting.
We need to adapt to climate change. And we need to make space for nature in the British countryside. But how?
One fast way is to slow the flow in the rivers, streams and water catchments that crisscross our land. We can do some of this with engineering – but it is expensive. We can also look to natural solutions and this is where beavers can help.
Beavers build series of dams that filter out pollutants, reduce flooding, store water in pools for times of drought, and attract a huge host of other wildlife. They also bring challenges – they will change our landscapes and we need to work out how to live alongside them again.
We need to welcome beavers back to Britain as a top priority. Several hundred beavers are already thriving quietly here on rivers from Cornwall to Scotland. But we need many more – and fast. Because this isn’t about the beaver itself; it’s about the incredible effect they have on our landscape.