Reintroduction of Eurasian Beavers to Britain and their role creating diverse wetlands while helping to reduce flooding will feature in the annual Gerald Salisbury Memorial Lecture taking place on Wednesday 28 February (8pm, Welwyn Civic Centre)
Sarah Brockless, Ecologist on the Spains Hall Estate Natural Flood Management Beaver Project at Finchingfield in Essex will describe how she has developed an ecological landscape plan incorporating Beaver-created wetlands. It covers 380 hectares of farmland, woodland, agro-forestry and a diverse connecting mosaic of habitat for farm and woodland species.
Sarah will share her knowledge of Beaver ecology and the wetlands created as part of the natural flood management project, along with the wider landscape-scale work across the Estate.
The Eurasian Beaver Castor fiber is one of the world's largest rodents. Once widespread across Europe and Asia, it was hunted to near-extinction for its fur and its scent-gland secretion known as castoreum. In Britain it had been extinct since the 16th century until planned reintroductions started in 2008.
Sarah's lecture is open to the public and jointly organised by the HNHS and Welwyn Natural History Society. There is a £5 entry fee (does not apply to Welwyn NHS members).
Photo of Eurasian Beaver taken from Wikipedia