To explore the possibility of beaver reintroductions to benefit biodiversity and mitigate climate change.
by Kernow Conservation CIC in Truro, England, United Kingdom
We are Kernow Conservation CIC, a community interest company restoring wildlife and biodiversity in Cornwall. Our previous and current projects include restoring habitats for endangered species, such as marsh fritillary butterflies, reintroducing previously extinct water voles, and installing nesting platforms to encourage ospreys to breed in Cornwall for the first time since the 1600s. We work with local landowners and volunteers who are committed to making a difference.
Beavers are true ecosystem engineers and another lost species of Cornwall slowly making a comeback. We want to speed this recovery up by embarking on a long-term project to work with local landowners, businesses, and communities to reintroduce beavers into appropriate areas. As with all reintroductions, there needs to be careful planning and management to ensure success and ongoing support.
With this crowdfunding campaign, we aim to secure the funding for an initial 12-month project development phase to build solid foundations and create a long-term project plan to restore beaver populations in Cornwall.
We will also produce a high-quality wildlife documentary short film about the project, along with gathering new footage of beavers at existing sites, and produce a series of social media shorts.
📸David Carrier - A beaver swimming.
Image credit: Jeroen Helmer/ARK Rewilding Netherlands
Beavers and biodiversity - There is a large and ever-mounting body of evidence for the benefits beavers bring to biodiversity. Beaver-modified habitats are beneficial for a whole host of wildlife, including bats, birds, small mammals, fish, and amphibians. A list that will only grow with more research.
Beavers and water voles - Beavers create ponds behind their dams, and channels to move water around in their habitat, which provide perfect habitat for water voles. This both complements and potentially powers up our ongoing and highly successful project to restore water vole populations in Cornwall.
Beavers and ospreys - By creating ponds behind their dams beavers increase fish populations and provide hunting opportunities for ospreys. In addition, standing dead wood can be used by ospreys as perches to hunt from around such ponds, or in some cases serve as natural platforms to support their large nests. This will be a welcome addition to the artificial osprey platforms we are installing around Cornwall to help speed their recovery.
Beavers and water flow - The presence of beavers in the environment can be hugely beneficial during periods of both high and low rainfall. During high rainfall events, beaver areas slow water flow and can reduce downstream flooding, which is ideal for wet winters in Cornwall. When there is low rainfall or drought, beaver areas store water and release it more slowly, meaning there will be more water for longer during dry spells.
Beavers and water quality - Beaver dams slow and filter water, which causes sediment and nutrients to settle in the ponds behind the dams. Beaver habitats also reduce nitrogen pollution, with bacteria in the ponds digesting nitrates, and the sediments trap other pollutants.
Beavers and carbon sequestration - Research is ongoing but the early signs are that beaver activity helps to sequester carbon, helping to mitigate climate change.
📸David Carrier - A beaver dam and pond in Cornwall.
If we reach our initial target the funds raised will be used to create the foundations for a long-term project to help restore beaver populations in Cornwall. This will include:
Should we not reach our initial target the activities within the project will be scaled down proportionately within the funding amount we achieve.
About the Film
The film will set out to document the benefits beaver reintroductions could bring to the challenges of climate change and the biodiversity crisis in Cornwall and beyond. It will also document the community engagement element of the project as its story unfolds, highlighting the case for and against beaver reintroductions.
An official screening of the film will be held at an exclusive online event in late 2025, with a Q&A with the director, project team and special guests.
About the Filmmaker
Zac Lazarou is a Kernow Conservation founder and a filmmaker with a first-class BSc in Zoology and a recent graduate with an MA in Directing and Producing Science and Natural History at the National Film and Television School.
Zac's previous film, The Undertakers (see pic), documented the plight of South African vultures and won him the award of Best Newcomer at the Pridelands Film Festival, Official Selection for the Rotterdam Wildlife Film Festival, and a finalist for the Student Academy Awards, all in 2024.
“It is going to take passion to conserve our countryside for future generations. As a business trying to achieve Net Zero, the global challenge can feel overwhelming which makes our efforts feel trivial by comparison. Then you find organisations like Kernow Conservation who need your support. Their commitment to our wildlife shines out in their work with landowners and restoring biodiversity. If everyone did that, then achieving a sustainable future will become more of a possibility.
”No business should be an island. We all have a responsibility to be part of our wider community. We cannot ignore the pressing need for us all to take action to ensure global security. It is important to clients and staff so why would you not make it part of your business strategy? What we like about Kernow Conservation is that we can see the difference they are making. In a world of increasingly grim news, doing something visibly positive is just what every business needs.”
— Hannah Rowe - Director, Rowe IT
“We owe everything we have to our natural world. As humans, we dramatically affect every aspect of the natural world, and we have an incumbent responsibility to protect that which was given. Over the coming years, all businesses will seek more sustainable ways to operate. At Richfords, we strongly believe that supporting and nurturing biodiversity is critical to sustainability. Our support of Kernow Conservation and their fantastic work enables us to have a direct and tangible effect on improving biodiversity.
”Just one of the many things you will love about supporting Kernow Conservation is the direct and tangible benefits your support will enable. Our team at Richfords was pleased and proud that the company sponsored Kernow Conservation, but when our team members had the opportunity to be directly involved, the sense of pride and well-being right across the team rocketed. ”
— Michael Cooper Business Development Director, Richfords Fire & Flood
“To witness the reintroduction of a species that was previously extinct across the county, and to know that our hard work and success as a company has contributed towards this program was a great privilege and something we can hopefully all be proud of.”
— Sam Culley, Richfords Technician
“We are so delighted to support the great work Kernow Conservation are doing. As a registered B-Corp, being able to work in partnership with KC is part of the commitment that we, as a business, have to being a force for good. In addition to our own efforts to have positive impacts in all that we do, part of this commitment is to donate to charities and projects that are doing the same. We wanted to concentrate on charities and projects local to us, and we feel strongly about nature conservation. Kernow Conservation fits these objectives perfectly. It is a relatively small organisation, with a very hands-on focus on using smart and targeted actions to make big impacts on biodiversity and nature conservation in our own locality.
On attending our water vole release:
”Being outside, seeing the water voles up close, and rolling up our sleeves to help set them up in their new home, was a wonderful day. It didn’t hurt being warm and sunny. Seeing Joe and David in their element and getting to share their enthusiasm for the work was really encouraging. One of the best things about it was meeting and connecting with other Cornish businesses, from a wide range of sectors and backgrounds, all sharing the desire to support and restore nature in Cornwall by putting their time and resources behind groups like Kernow conservation. We certainly came away inspired by that, as well as by the brave little voles themselves!
We are not a large business and want our limited resources that we are able to donate to go a long way. Kernow Conservation are a small organisation and the support of businesses like ours is of vital importance to them. Their ecological expertise means that they target their programs to have a big ecosystem impact with small and targeted interventions, and partnering with them makes us feel like we are making an important contribution to nature in Cornwall. ”
— Prune and Collin, Directors, Prune Harris Ltd.
“All of us at Cornish Tin are proud to support the valuable work being done by Kernow Conservation.
It has always been, right from our earliest days, an essential aim of Cornish Tin to benefit our natural environment. As well as our tree-planting programmes, we know that our support to Kernow Conservation makes a direct contribution to environmental diversity and protection in Cornwall.
Some of our geologists participated in a recent water vole release into the wild, and said how great it was to be part of a hands-on effort to support the natural wildlife of Cornwall.
As a local company we think it’s important to support Kernow Conservation’s valuable work and I am sure that it would appeal to many other businesses looking for an effective way to help protect Cornwall’s natural environment.”
— Sally Norcross-Webb, Founder and CEO of Cornish Tin
“Sustainability and community are two main pillars of Brooks Estates and Kernow Conservation aligns with both these factors and only supports and furthers us towards our goals. Brooks Estates are proud to support and be a part of the growing community of partnerships that also support Kernow Conservation. Kernow Conservation also provide an opportunity for individuals to reconnect with nature and aware and be involved in local environmental projects.
”Brooks Estates are advocates for supporting local communities and organisations, especially when the environment is at the helm. For Brooks Estates Ltd, this partnership has been an investment in time, knowledge and awareness of local environmental projects. Kernow Conservation is creating a growing community of likeminded businesses, and we are proud of this partnership.”
On attending our water vole release:
”The whole day was brilliant. It was a great opportunity to meet other likeminded businesses and learn more about what these fascinating creatures do and how they benefit not only the local ecosystem, but so many other species in so many ways. The best part of the day was the use of a pringles can as transport equipment!”
— Flora Tswei Assistant Ecologist, Brooks Estates
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