Plans to move beavers to wetland are delayed
PLANS to release beavers back into the wild in Willington have been delayed.
Wildlife bosses had hoped to release the animals before the winter. However, “preparing the reserve, trapping and then moving two beaver families from Scotland to Derbyshire is a huge and ambitious project at the best of times”.
A spokesman for Derbyshire Wildlife Trust said: “Crucially, the fencing which will keep the beavers safe in a large area of the reserve needs some additional and unforeseen engineering work, and we cannot complete this before winter weather sets in.
“We will keep you updated but we are confident that our beavers will be here next year, hopefully in the spring.”
Once in situ, beavers create a mosaic of habitats, from small and large ponds and channels with leafier edges, wet meadows and areas of mud and silt trapped behind dams which fish and insects love.
They are ecosystem engineers, and experts in wetland management, creating more diverse habitat for wildlife, from the smallest invertebrates to birds and large mammals, said the trust spokesman.
The plan is to bring beavers back to Trent Valley’s Willington Wetlands and the project has received backing from two companies. A £75,000 grant has come from Biffa Award and a £65,000 contribution from Severn Trent.
Natural England, the Government agency responsible for licensing the release and homing of the beavers, has reviewed and licensed the plans, and agreed that the Willington area is large enough for two beaver families.
The trust says the beavers will make positive environmental changes to the wetland and the way water flows through the area as a result of their ecoengineering activity, by building dams as they naturally do, which will serve to improve the habitat for other wildlife and reducing the risk of local flooding.
It announced its plans and appeal to bring beavers back to Derbyshire at the end of February.
Matt Buckler, head of nature recovery networks at the trust, said they were overjoyed at the “fantastic response” to the plans to bring beavers back to Willington Wetlands.
He said the trust was looking forward to welcoming the beavers, which would benefit and improve the wildlife habitat and nature recovery in the Trent Valley long term and bring an economic boost through eco-tourism.