This animal could be the key to drought prevention

• The National Trust's Holnicote estate in Somerset has maintained lush vegetation and thriving wetlands despite a very dry spring, thanks to extensive river restoration work including introducing beavers.
• The 'Riverlands' project, launched in 2020, involved restoring the River Aller to its natural 'stage zero' state and reintroducing beavers into enclosures.
• This approach has created a new natural landscape with channels, pools, and marshes that slow water flow, hold water to combat drought and flooding, and reduce pollution.
• The project demonstrates how natural solutions, including beaver reintroduction, can build landscape resilience against extreme weather and provide benefits like healthier grazing.
• The National Trust is now seeking permission for licensed wild beaver releases on the estate, aiming for the animals to integrate with and manage the restored river landscape.

IN FULL

How beavers could become key to preventing droughts