Beavers and river restoration keep landscape lush during drought
A pioneering scheme has been running at Holnicote Estate
A pioneering scheme, to restore a river to a natural state and bring in beavers, to create wetlands, shows how landscapes can be more resilient to drought, the National Trust has said.
Aerial shots of the charity’s Holnicote Estate, in Somerset, reveal how stretches of the river corridor and restored wetlands have remained green and lush, despite drought that has gripped the South West and much of the southern UK, this Summer.
The National Trust said local farmers have benefited from resilient wetland grazing habitats, with a range of forage, shade and water helping livestock cope with the hot, dry weather.
And wildlife, including water voles, trout and grass snakes are thriving, while new species including green sandpiper, common crane and white stork, have arrived.
The conservation organisation said the scheme showed the value of “nature-based solutions”, in which natural features such as rivers connected with floodplains and wildlife, including beavers, are used to deliver benefits for landscapes and people.
These include slowing the flow of water, to reduce flooding and keeping landscapes wet during drought, to protect wildlife and livestock, it said.
At Holnicote, the charity has implemented a UK-first “Stage 0” reset of the River Aller over the last decade, to restore it to a more natural state, in which it is reconnected with its floodplain and flows through multiple channels, pools and shallow riffles, as it would have done before human interference.
The team has also brought in beavers, with around 25 wild beavers now living across the river catchment, creating wetlands and ponds, which hold water in the landscape and slow the flow to protect against flooding.
A beaver and wetland project officer, a ranger and local volunteers, known as “beaver champions”, monitor the beavers and provide information to members of the community, who might have concerns about their impact.
Other work has included taking out land drains and reconnecting the watercourse with the floodplain, to recreate a more lush habitat, upstream of the Stage 0 project.
Project manager at Holnicote, Ben Eardley, said: “For generations as a nation we’ve drained wetlands, straightened rivers and moved water off the land as quickly as possible.
“Here we’ve reversed that approach and the results are remarkable.
“By reconnecting river systems with the surrounding area and creating natural sponges in the landscape, we’ve created a system that stores water during drought, keeping wetlands and the surrounding habitats healthy, and slows water during storms and periods of extreme rainfall, helping to protect villages from the risk of flooding downstream.”
He said it was helping wildlife recover and helping communities adapt to the worsening extreme weather brought by climate change, caused by the continued extraction and use of fossil fuels.
“Nature shouldn’t be viewed as a cost of climate adaptation. It should be seen as one of our greatest allies,” Mr Eardley added.
And with farmers under pressure, from prolonged drought and extreme heat, the wetland landscape is supporting local producers.
Holly Purdy, a National Trust tenant farmer, has a grazing agreement to bring cattle on to the wetland restoration site at Holnicote, which she said allowed farm animals to benefit from varied grazing through the year and reduced Summer grazing on their main farm, to build up forage for the winter.
And she said: “The River Aller site has been particularly beneficial for our two to three year-old beef shorthorn steers, the variety of plants to graze and browse is key to success for the native breed, with our steers having flourished on the site.
“During the high temperatures and drought this Summer, the river site also offered significant cooling and shade, with grazing on wetland plant species within the river system that continued to grow, despite the dry conditions.”
The National Trust is calling for the government to step up its efforts and invest in more nature-based solutions, to help the country to become more resilient to the impacts of a changing climate.