On International Beaver Day, Cornwall Wildlife Trust announced they will appoint a dedicated Beaver Officer.

The new appointee will work towards achieving the first ever licensed wild release of beavers into Cornwall’s landscape since they were hunted to extinction over 400 years ago.

Following the success of the enclosed Cornwall Beaver Project at Woodland Valley Farm near Ladock, Cornwall Wildlife Trust ultimately plan to release Eurasian beavers into their largest nature reserve at Helman Tor, south of Bodmin. The Beaver Officer’s role will be to consult local people, collect baseline data, and pull together all the information needed for a licence application.

Helman Tor nature reserve features a vast expanse of wild wetland at the heart of Cornwall. Due to the long absence of nature’s key ‘ecosystem engineers’ in the UK, the process of achieving a release licence will be rigorous. The Beaver Officer’s work will ensure that any wild beaver reintroduction is conducted responsibly, in a suitable location, and with the greatest positive impact for wildlife and local communities.

Cornwall’s precious wetlands and river valleys are at particular risk from climate change as we begin to experience longer periods of high temperatures and low rainfall, leading to drought conditions. At the same time, towns, villages and farmland are becoming more susceptible to flooding, as storms and periods of heavy rainfall become more extreme.

Beavers have the unique ability to make Cornwall more resilient to both drought and flooding. Their dam building behaviour only occurs on smaller streams. It reduces flood flows after heavy rain by slowing the flow of water. Beaver activity forms new ponds and they create open coppice glades that irrigate the land, supporting a host of other wildlife. As the water is slowed by the dams there is a filter effect, reducing pollution further downstream. A bonus is that the new wetlands also capture carbon.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Head of Conservation, Cheryl Marriott, explained: “Cornwall’s landscape is well suited to beavers because we have very little flat, low-lying land. If we can allow beavers space in the valley bottoms, we can enjoy the benefits they bring and other land use can continue alongside. Of course, we need to be ready to deal with any problems, but there are many more advantages to bringing beavers back than disadvantages.”

Defra’s 25-year Environment Plan includes beaver reintroductions into the wild, and a ‘beaver team’ has been appointed nationally to oversee licensing and management. Last year, beavers were added to Schedule 2 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017, making it an offence to kill, disturb or injure them. It will also be an offence to damage or disturb breeding sites or resting places, without a licence from Natural England.

While Cornwall Wildlife Trust await government being open to accept wild release licence applications, they are creating the new post of Beaver Officer to work on local consultation and the application process.

Cheryl added: “Given the now proven effectiveness of beavers in making a positive difference, it is time to get them into the wider countryside, in an appropriate and well-managed way.”

This is being made possible thanks to the generous support of business St Eval.