I still get goosebumps thinking back to the release day, standing in the sunshine on the bank of a small stream in rural Northumberland not long after starting at Beaver Trust.
Written by Sandra King, Beaver Trust CEO
Hushed as press gathered on the opposite bank, I reached forwards and lifted the door of the crate and the first beaver to step foot in Northumberland for hundreds of years made its way down the bank and into the stream. It was magical…
Knowing how much work had gone into that moment – feasibility studies, vision and ambition, hard graft from National Trust staff and volunteers, Five Sisters Zoo, Beaver Trust staff and the funders – made it all the more special.
And yet. And yet, it shouldn’t have to be that hard. Beavers are a native species to Britain with European Protected Species status in Scotland and England. We know from innumerable scientific studies that the wetland habitats beavers create have so many benefits, but it remains too hard, too complicated and too costly for many people to restore beavers to their landscapes.
A wild release licence framework in England would enable the re-establishment of beavers into appropriate river catchments across the country, and this is one of our key asks of the new Westminster Government. We also urge the Government to lead on the creation of a national strategy for beavers in England, steering wider efforts to identify and actively expand England’s population alongside appropriate management and mitigation – similar to what has already been developed and put into action in Scotland.
On a personal level, it has been a joy and a privilege to watch this site develop over the last year. Unlike some of the Beaver Trust team, I am not a beaver ecologist/specialist and I am more than happy to say that I am still learning. I have visited Wallington almost monthly to see how the site is developing and the beavers are settling in. I also joined an Environment Agency training day, planting willow whips and other practical tasks.
There have been some challenges, not least of all the highest rainfall during the second wettest year on record since 1989 which tested the strength of the fence and infrastructure! Speaking with National Trust staff, volunteers, Natural England and Environment Agency staff, this new project has provided valuable first-hand learning experiences for the region.
Enclosures have played a valuable role in helping to raise awareness and normalise beavers in our landscapes and I want beavers to be embraced as a vital part of our ecosystem. This journey has been a privilege to witness and I’ve learned so much from watching them transform their stretch of the river and floodplain. It’s fascinating to see how they captivate National Trust visitors, especially with our beaver kit video playing on a loop in the visitor centre.
The Environment Agency’s Beaver Technical Specialist monitors the site extensively with camera traps and shares monthly highlights. Watching hundreds of clips of beavers in action at night, changing the site, building dams and creating channels has been incredible.
More recently it’s been exciting to see a unique PhD developing on-site as well as the new accredited CIEEM training courses this year led by Beaver Trust in conjunction with Natural England and the Environment Agency – completion of which would be counted as relevant training for any future beaver class licence application.
In recent weeks, the joy of hearing about the patter of tiny feet (or the slaps of tiny tails, more like!) as the first beaver kits born in Northumberland in over 400 years has been indescribable.
