Could we soon see the reintroduction of beavers into the wild in Surrey?

Surrey Wildlife Trust (SWT) hopes so, and is asking the public to back a project which will initially study the possibility of beaver reintroductions and the best sites to do so.

All donations towards this “Ecosystem Engineers” project made beforeTuesday, April 29, will be match-funded to a total value of £50,000 by the Green Match Fund, a group of philanthropists who support great ideas to protect the environment.

If like me you watch BBC’s Countryfile regularly you may have seen reports of Eurasian Beavers (so called to distinguish them from the North American Beaver) being reintroduced in some parts of the UK, and how dams built by the beavers create ponds, ditches and marshy areas. Rhese have many benefits including flood alleviation by holding back water, and the creation of habitats for a huge variety of native plant and animal species, including those that are extinct locally.

SWT Conservation manager Adam Bolton explained: “Beavers are nature’s top engineers and we’re asking people to help us put back at the heart of our landscapes, to help shape them for the better.

“Given the essential services nature provides, from flood prevention to carbon sequestration to better health and wellbeing, it would be something for everyone to celebrate.”

Beavers used to thrive throughout the UK but were hunted to extinction some 400 years ago. Licenses granted for their reintroduction have been under the condition that they were maintained within enclosed spaces, although animals have escaped into the wild in some areas.

The government recently announced that it will change the law to enable beavers to be legally released into the wild, as early as this year.

Adam added: “Beavers could be key to restoring and extending Surrey’s wet habitats, as they have started to do in parts of the UK, including Devon, and more widely in Europe where eight of the animals are reported to have saved Czech taxpayers at least a million Euros by flooding a protected former army training site where a long-delayed dam was planned.

“Beavers’ habit of creating dams and felling some bankside trees creates natural bodies of water of varying sizes and depths that can then benefit nature with minimum investment and interference from people. New research from The Wildlife Trusts recently revealed that natural flood management schemes deliver £10 of benefits for every £1 invested.”

Other species which are locally extinct, but which were once an integral part of our natural landscapes, could also be a part of an enhanced ecosystem. In addition to beavers, SWT plans to explore the feasibility of other respectfully-managed species reintroductions to enhance the lowland heath habitat.

Before releasing any beavers in Surrey, SWT must first conduct studies to fully assess the potential effectiveness and impact of the animals on its reserves.

Donations are initially being sought to support a detailed feasibility study into beaver reintroductions and to assess other habitat engineering options, using mechanical or manual methods for rewetting habitats.

For information and to donate to the appeal, visit https://tinyurl.com/swt-beavers.

Those donating to the appeal will receive regular updates as the project evolves. If SWT decides not to proceed with the reintroductions, it says the money raised will directly contribute to its other work towards supporting a wide range of existing flora and fauna.