News

Severn Rivers Trust, in collaboration with the Environment Agency, Shropshire Hills National Landscape Team, Shropshire Wildlife Trust, and landowner Trevor Wheeler, will release a breeding pair of beavers into a new enclosure in the Shropshire Hills on 31st March 2025, helping to restore natural processes in this precious upland landscape.

Severn Rivers Trust, with input from key partners and the Derek Gow Consultancy, are leading this exciting reintroduction project, which will benefit an area of ecological significance. On 31st March 2025, a breeding pair will be released into a 6.5-hectare enclosure in the headwaters of the River Clun, where their activity will help hold more water in the landscape, slow the flow, create vital wetland habitats, and improve conditions for the river and communities downstream.

Beavers are nature’s engineers, capable of transforming landscapes in ways that support a huge variety of species. As they build dams and create wetlands, they naturally store water in the landscape, reduce the impact of flooding, and keep rivers flowing in dry spells. This makes them a particularly valuable species in the uplands, where rivers like the Clun often experience flash flooding in winter and dangerously low flows in summer. Their work will not only help regulate water availability but will also provide significant benefits for biodiversity, creating habitats for a range of wildlife.

Joe Pimblett, CEO at Severn Rivers Trust, said:“If we’re serious about restoring nature in Britain, we need to start tackling issues at the source. The exceptional challenges facing our rivers, including declining water quality, increased flooding, and habitat loss, require fresh and bold approaches. By bringing beavers back to the uplands, we are working with nature to rebuild healthier and more resilient landscapes from the headwaters down.”

The River Clun and its tributaries are a critical and fragile ecosystem, home to species that need clean, well-oxygenated water to survive, such as Atlantic Salmon. By slowing water flow and trapping sediment, beaver wetlands will help improve water quality, benefitting not only fish populations but a whole range of plants and animals that depend on healthy rivers.

The site has been carefully chosen for its potential to support both beavers and wider biodiversity. As well as creating new wetland habitat, short-term cattle grazing will be introduced at key times to maintain the species-rich grasslands surrounding the site. To help the beavers establish their new home in the Shropshire Hills, a temporary lodge has been built on a pond within the enclosure, giving them an ideal starting point to settle and thrive.

This project has been made possible with funding from the Environment Agency and additional support from Shropshire Hills National Landscape Team. Shropshire Wildlife Trust carried out surveys and obtained necessary consent to meet local ecological priorities.

The beavers set to be released were relocated under licence from Scotland by experts at the Beaver Trust and are a breeding pair, both estimated to be two to three years old. They have passed full health screening and will be introduced to each other naturally within the enclosure, allowing them to establish their own space before meeting.

Joe Pimblett added: “We’re looking forward to seeing the beavers settle into their new home and watching the landscape change over time. What they do here in the headwaters will have an impact far beyond the enclosure.”

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Severn Rivers Trust is offering media outlets exclusive access to the project team and high-quality footage of the release. For further information, interview requests, or press materials, please contact:

Katie Jones, Communications & Giving Lead

severnriverstrust.com

katie.jones@severnriverstrust.com

07805 228 917