PREVIEW

**Issued under strict embargo until 00.01hrs Wednesday 11 February 2026**


Beavers are back living in the wild on Exmoor - as part of a rewilding programme that could help resolve some of Britain’s flooding problems.

The National Trust released a family and pair of Eurasian beavers at two sites as part of a wider release across the Holnicote Estate on Exmoor in Somerset on Tuesday (10February2026), to contribute to one of the most ambitious and innovative river and wetland restoration efforts undertaken by the conservation charity.

In addition to enhancing our natural habitat, it is hoped the beavers’ unique damming abilities could help the fight against flooding.

“These extraordinary creatures are brilliant for biodiversity, reduce flood risk and improve water quality in our rivers,” Nature Minister Mary Creagh said. “The return of beavers is a vital part of this government’s mission to protect and restore nature and we’re working closely with local communities to maximise their benefits.”

National Trust Project Manager Ben Eardley added: “Beavers are extraordinary partners in our work to restore nature at scale. Over the last few years we’ve seen how their dams and wetlands transform the landscape, create habitat and help buffer both floods and drought.”

With the south-west of England recently experiencing severe flooding, the Trust emphasises that beavers are not a quick fix, nor a replacement for other landscape interventions to hold water, but that can play their part.

Ben continued: “Over time we expect beaver dams and wetlands to help slow floodwaters, store water higher in the catchment, and reduce the severity of downstream flood peaks, helping communities become more resilient. This natural resilience can only become more important in a warming climate, and it sits at the heart of the Trust’s ongoing work.”

Other animals will be released over the coming days in areas where they can establish their own territories to engineer wetlands, build dams and shape diverse habitats to benefit other wildlife and communities alike.
The release across the catchment will also help to develop a robust and genetically diverse local population.
The wild release is the second by the charity granted under licence from Natural England since a major policy shift on species reintroductions in England came into force early last year, with the first wild release taking place on the National Trust’s Purbeck Estate in Dorset in March.
The wild releases will play a key role in accelerating the National Trust’s ambitious, -planned landscape scale nature recovery programme across the 5,000hectare (12,000acre) Holnicote Estate developing aclimate-resilient landscape that delivers for wildlife, water, carbon and communities.
Together, these initiatives represent a bold step towards transforming Holnicote into a living example of what a restored, resilient countryside can achieve — for people, for nature and for future generations.
Natural England Chief Executive Marian Spain said: “We are delighted to have approved a second beaver release licence for the National Trust, following the success of their wild beaver release in Dorset last year. This latest release builds on a growing network of responsible, well-planned reintroductions across the region with the potential to make a huge difference to nature recovery.
“This work sits alongside our broader ambitions on Exmoor, where we're partnering with the National Park and National Trust to restore dynamic habitats, trial innovative grazing approaches, and support the re-introduction of white-tailed eagles and pine martens — driving nature recovery at scale across this iconic landscape.”

The wider release will include introducing beavers into the Trust’s ground‑breaking ‘Stage 0’ floodplain reconnection on the River Aller which was inspired by river restoration approaches first trialled in Oregon, USA. This project created a dynamic, sprawling floodplain wetland mosaic by moving more than 4,000 tonnes of earth to infill the straightened river channel, instantly reconnecting the watercourse with its floodplain.

The project involved laying hundreds of tonnes of deadwood across the floodplain, planting wetland plugs, wildflower seeds and native trees to give the site an ecological kick start that beavers will utilise and enhance.

In just over two years this restoration has resulted in an extensive wetland complex with multiple channels, pools, marshes and shallow riffles supporting abundant numbers and varieties of wildflowers and benefiting species such as frogs, dragonflies, fish and numerous bird species including swallows, kingfishers and egrets. This ecological explosion in abundance and diversity mimics the activity of beavers and is exactly the kind of wetland habitat that beaver will develop in locations throughout the estate, benefiting local communities and wildlife.

The Holnicote release has been made possible thanks to funding from Admiral’s Green Fund Initiative.

The National Trust is also working with Beaver Trust, experts in beaver translocation, welfare and coexistence work, who source and translocate animals across Scotland, England and Wales.

Dr Roisin Campbell, Head of Restoration at Beaver Trust, said: “We hope this marks the beginning of restoring the species at the scale needed in the wild to halt species decline, increase wildlife, and ultimately tackle the biodiversity crisis, in line with the government’s legally binding commitments.”

The Estate team is also working closely with local farmers to understand how wetland habitat can help to provide grazing opportunities and help mitigate the impact extreme weather is having on their business. And, ahead of the release, the Trust has been liaising closely with its neighbours and local residents enabling the community to learn more about the role beavers play in shaping resilient, wildlife‑rich places.

Stewart Clarke, Senior National Freshwater and Estuary Specialist concluded: “As beavers return to our landscapes, we need to ensure they have the space to do what they do best — create thriving wetlands that benefit wildlife and people.”