Beavers transform English forest into wetland
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In Dorset, England, a pair of wild beavers reshaped a dense forest into a bright, wetland environment within just one year of their release.
The National Trust documented the changes, noting the beavers slowed water flow, created deep pools, and thinned tree canopies. These alterations attracted several local species to the Purbeck area, including otters, barn owls, moorhens, and rare insects. The beavers settled near Little Sea, a 33-hectare freshwater lake.
After the female beaver briefly swam towards Swanage, conservationists safely returned her to the lake’s watershed. Since arriving, the beavers constructed a 35-meter dam across a local stream, forming a deep bay and clearing space on the forest floor as they felled trees. National Trust project leader Jen Chrisford explained the impact on the ecosystem has been impressive in a short time. The beavers created a light and open wetland teeming with life both above and below the water.
New shoots quickly grow from the stumps of trees the beavers felled, promoting healthy forest regrowth and providing food and shelter for birds and mammals. The slowed water flow may also help prevent flooding on a nearby road during heavy rains. Cameras have captured otters fishing and barn owls hunting in the new wetland, and evidence suggests the beavers may have offspring later in the year.
