In April 2023, Cornwall Wildlife Trust and St. Eval announced an exciting new partnership to begin the process that will lead to an introduction of beavers to Helman Tor nature reserve. 

What are beavers?

Beavers are Britain’s largest rodent, the group of mammals that includes rats, mice, and voles. They live in freshwater habitats, like rivers and streams, and prefer areas surrounded by wetland plants, trees and woodland.

What benefits do beavers bring?

The Cornwall Beaver Project at Woodland Valley Farm shows that beavers bring huge benefits to wildlife. After five years of the project:

• Brown trout have doubled in size in the new beaver ponds.
• Three additional species of mammal, including the water shrew, have been recorded there.
• Ten new bird species, including the water rail, green sandpiper and willow tit.
• 11 species of bat and 17 species of damselfly and dragonfly have now been recorded on the site.

What is the aim of the 'Introducing Beavers at Helman Tor' project?

Thanks to the support of St. Eval, who generously donated £150,000, the project aims to appoint Cornwall's first ever Beaver Officer who will work towards achieving the first ever licensed wild release of beavers into Cornwall’s landscape since they were hunted to extinction over 400 years ago.

The process of achieving a release licence will be rigorous, ensuring that any wild beaver reintroduction is conducted responsibly, in a suitable location, and with the greatest impact for wildlife and local communities. The Beaver Officer’s role will be to consult local people, collect baseline data, and pull together all the information needed for a licence application.

Ian Greaves, CEO at St. Eval, said: “I am delighted that we are able to support Cornwall Wildlife Trust in such a meaningful way over the next three years with this incredible project. Taking care of the natural world around us has long been a core value at St. Eval; helping Cornwall Wildlife Trust bring beavers back to Cornwall is a great way to make a positive impact on biodiversity and the environment locally. 

“We’ve worked closely with Cornwall Wildlife Trust for many years to support them in their mission to create a Cornwall where nature thrives and are so delighted to take our partnership to the next level with this incredible project. The whole team at St. Eval are also so excited to be able to be involved in a voluntary capacity and can’t wait to get their boots muddy!” 

Why Helman Tor?

Helman Tor nature reserve features a vast expanse of wild wetland at the heart of Cornwall, which would be further enhanced and revitalised by the presence of these native herbivores.