The Guardian | January 30, 2020
A pair of beavers were released on National Trust land in the UK at the Holnicote estate in Somerset as a natural land management strategy aimed to ease flooding and increase biodiversity. Over time the beavers will thin out the trees in their 2.7-hectare home, bringing in more light and with it more flora and fauna – birds, invertebrates, other mammals. Another big hope is that the dams they build will slow the flow of water, easing the risk of flooding downstream.
“It’s an exciting moment,” said Ben Eardley, the project manager for the National Trust at Holnicote, as the female beaver found a bramble-covered ledge to hide away in. “The beavers will shake this place up, they’re a real driver of change.”
