Can Beavers Save the World?

“The explosion of nature in our valleys and our streams has been phenomenal. There’s nothing like reintroducing beavers that we could have done ourselves that would have been approaching this in terms of effect. We’re surrounded by water and greenness and life. It’s this abundance that we need to be fostering” Chris Jones of the Cornwall Beaver Project.

The famous aquatic architect was hunted to extinction in the UK around 400 years ago, being prized for its fur and a product used in perfumes and medicine. A similar decline took place across Europe, with the population dropping to almost 1000. 

Beavers have since been successfully reintroduced and protected in many countries, including Scotland and England – and in parts of Devon.

By digging canals, building dams, felling trees and moving branches and twigs into the water, beavers create wetland habitats that support wildlife. For example, studies show that young salmon grow faster and stronger in areas where beavers live. Beavers are herbivores – they don’t eat fish! 

Dams prevent soil from fields from being carried downstream to the sea. Carbon and nutrients are trapped, improving water quality downstream. The water flow is slowed, helping to reduce flooding.

Beavers construct dams to create ponds where they can create their lodges and live safely. To do this, they need a freshwater habitat with lots of woody vegetation. Another exciting impact of beavers’ environmental engineering is that the wetlands they produce store carbon – an essential process in the fight against the climate emergency. 

Join us at Totnes Civic Hall on Friday 9th May for an event exploring the incredible impact beavers can have on our environment.