After 800 years, beavers are back in Derbyshire. In 2021, two beaver pairs were released into the 40 hectare wetland site as part of a reintroduction project.

Beavers are a special species that are known as nature’s engineers and play a crucial role in creating diverse wetland habitats for other species to thrive. Beavers quickly set to work shaping the wetlands they live in. They dig canal systems, fell trees and dam watercourses creating pools and flooded areas. These are excellent habitats for mammals like otters, water voles and water shrews.

In recent years, people have worked hard to recreate the structural diversity of these wetland habitats both to improve biodiversity locally and to slow the flow of water to reduce the risk of flooding downstream. This is labour intensive and it can be difficult to get people and equipment into remote areas without causing damage to sensitive habitats. Beavers do this work for us and by observing them we can learn more about what makes a stronger, more resilient ecosystem.