First London Beavers to be reintroduced at Forty Hall

London’s first ever beaver release trial will take place in Enfield later this autumn, in a collaboration project between the Council and Capel Manor College.

Beavers are slowly returning to Britain.

In May 2009, the Scottish Beaver Trial released the first beavers to live wild in Scotland in over 400 years. This marked the first ever formal reintroduction of a native mammal species in Britain and launched a groundbreaking five year study to explore how beavers can enhance and restore natural environments.

Since then, beavers has also been released in Wales the south and south-west of England.

The Forty Hall trial will be the first in London and will see the semi-aquatic mammals introduced as part of a wider Natural Flood Management initiative.

The project aims to release a wild adult breeding pair and their offspring in an enclosed 6 hectares site.

Apart from the pleasure a more diverse wild animal ecosystem offers us all, Beavers are also proven to support a healthier environment. Beaver dams decrease the impacts of floods by up to 60% by reducing water flow. The same mechanism is also a solution for drought periods where water in pools can be utilised. Both are helpful for many towns and cities which are prone to floods and droughts.

Another benefit of beaver dams and pools is their ability to capture carbon. The dams hold back silt, which locks up carbon and new plant growth in the surrounding area and forms a carbon sink.