This campaign has now closed
Surrey Wildlife Trust (SWT) is raising funds to re-wet lowland heathland in Surrey and explore the feasibility of using European beavers as ‘ecosystem engineers.’ This project will help restore habitats, boost biodiversity, and support the national goal of protecting 30% of land for nature by 2030.
Categories
Beneficiaries
Situation
Surrey’s heathland is at risk due to habitat degradation, biodiversity loss, and climate pressures. Rewetting these habitats would transform them into thriving ecosystems for hundreds of native species, while helping tackle issues like flooding, drought, and wildfires. Through their dam-building, European beavers could play a key role in achieving this naturally. Mirroring initiatives elsewhere in the UK, the first phase is to undertake a detailed feasibility study.
Solution
We’ll conduct a feasibility study and assess where on our large heathland nature reserves we might make productive use of European beavers, which create natural water systems of varying depths through dam-building. Other methods, like mechanical habitat engineering, will also be explored. To enhance native biodiversity, we’ll investigate reintroducing other locally extinct species, which would create a better-functioning ecosystem while being a source of interest and pride for local people.
