Cornwall project shows beavers could be vital in creating natural flood defences
Experts say the site is unrecognisable from when they were reintroduced five years ago
Last updated 3rd Jul 2022
A project in Cornwall has seen beaver activity to be vital in creating natural flood defences and biodiversity.
The Cornwall Beaver Project is marking it's five year anniversary studying the beaver population at Woodland Valley Farm and is calling for more wild releases like these across Britain.
Cheryl Marriott, Head of Conservation at Cornwall Wildlife Trust, said: "After five years of habitat engineering by the beavers, the landscape at Woodland Valley Farm is now completely unrecognisable from its initial state.
"They’ve breathed new life into this habitat and their natural dam-building behaviour has delivered lots of benefits for both wildlife and people".
Since the launch of their project, rare bird species have also been recorded on site and fish have increased in size. It's also seen a slower river flow, increased habitats for other species and more visitors coming to visit the site.
The wildlife organisations are calling for carefully considered wild releases of beavers to be taken forward to support wider beaver conservation efforts.
Cheryl continued: "It’s amazing what can happen when you let nature look after itself, without the need for humans to manage it. With the ever more extreme weather events that we’re getting, beavers give us hope that our streams and all the wildlife that relies on them can adapt to the changes.
"We must use their natural ‘superpowers’ in the sustainable, long-term restoration of our wetlands".
Dr Alan Puttock, a researcher at the University of Exeter, said: "The results from Woodland Valley Farm have helped to show that beavers could play a role in delivering natural flood management. Following beaver introduction, peak flows after heavy rainfall events have been reduced by up to 33%"
Beavers were first reintroduced in the early 2000s and the Cornwall Beaver Project then brought beavers back to the Duchy in June 2017 following a successful crowdfunding campaign.
The site is in a village upstream of Ladock, who were previously affected by flooding and has seen a huge improvement, with water now taking over an hour to travel through the site compared to 15 minutes before beavers were reintroduced.
Chris Jones, owner of Woodland Valley Farm and Communities Director at Beaver Trust, said: "As the project concludes five years of fascination and study, we’re delighted to be able to offer improved accessibility to these wetlands, sharing this place with a whole new audience who can come and see for themselves how the beavers have transformed the stream here.
"At The Cornwall Beaver Project, that’s what it’s all about – helping people to nurture a connection with these amazing animals that do so much good for our environment.
"It's also a crucial time to share the findings from The Cornwall Beaver Project as we anticipate the release of a national, long-term beaver strategy and management framework for wild beaver releases.
"We know we need to do more to tackle the nature and climate crisis, and welcoming beavers back to our countryside will certainly help us do this. And we need to ensure measures are in place to manage the species as its population expands".
There are now five beaver enclosures located across Cornwall. Cornwall Wildlife Trust are looking at the possibility of reintroducing more beavers into the wild landscape, including at its Helman Tor nature reserve near Bodmin.
You can learn more about the project on the Cornwall Wildlife Trust website.