Beaver Reintroduction Consultation Events in Cornwall

Cornwall Wildlife Trust are hosting four wild beaver reintroduction consultation events across the Par and Fowey catchments during winter 2024/25.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust is leading a project to reintroduce wild beavers to the Par and Fowey catchments, aiming to restore these ecosystem engineers to Cornwall.

Our long-term vision is to achieve a self-sustaining and genetically diverse population of beavers in the project area, so we can collectively feel the benefits from this keystone species being back in the landscape. This project could bring benefits to the catchment, including enhanced biodiversity, flood mitigation, and improved water quality.

Once the consultation events are complete and the government opens the application process, Cornwall Wildlife Trust, will submit a wild release licence application to Natural England for review.

During December 2024 and January 2025, Cornwall Wildlife Trust is hosting four public consultation events across the Par and Fowey catchment area to discuss the reintroduction of wild beavers.

We would like to speak with local residents, farmers, business-owners, recreational river users, fishery interests and other groups living or working in the area about our plans to bring back wild beavers.

We would like to invite the public, in particular those who live and work in the Par and Fowey catchment areas, to join us at the events. You will be able to speak to the project team and learn more about our project, our proposed management approach and have the opportunity to comment on our plans, which will help inform our licence application to Natural England.

Events will be run as drop-in sessions between 2pm and 6pm:

Tue 3rd Dec | Gunwen Chapel
Thu 12th Dec | Lanhydrock Memorial Hall
Wed 8th Jan | Bugle Village Hall
Tue 14th Jan | St Neot Village Hall

Representatives from Natural England, Beaver Trust, Environment Agency and Woodland Valley Farm will all be at the events, so you will also be able to hear about beaver ecology, beaver management and the wider picture of beavers in the UK.

There is no need to book a ticket, please drop by at a time that suits and share your thoughts with us. Tea, coffee and refreshments will be provided.

If you are unable to attend the events but would still like to share your thoughts, please contact:
beavers@cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk.

We look forward to seeing you there!