One year on from first wild release in England, beavers transform dense woodland in Studland to wildlife-rich wetland - National Trust

One year after beavers were released into the wild at Studland in Dorset, their activity has dramatically reshaped part of the local landscape – turning a previously dense area of woodland into a thriving wetland habitat.

These beavers are one of two pairs that the National Trust released into Little Sea lake in March 2025, under the first license of its kind to be granted by Natural England.

The Trust recently added to its wild release beaver numbers with a successful reintroduction of several animals on the Holnicote Estate in Exmoor after being granted a further licence.

Hunted to extinction on mainland Britain in the 16th Century, wild beavers are now poised to play a crucial role in restoring ecosystems.

Since their reintroduction, the beavers have explored widely - searching for a suitable place to establish a territory. In the early months, they investigated several locations that proved unsuitable; the female even swam by sea to the nearby town of Swanage but was relocated to Little Sea for welfare reasons. The pair have now settled, building an impressive 35‑metre dam where the ecological impacts, and benefits, of their activity are already becoming clear.

The dam has slowed the flow of a small stream, creating a deep and extensive pond. Their coppicing of trees has opened up the canopy, allowing light to flood in and creating ideal habitat for plants, insects, amphibians, birds and bats. The trail cameras have already picked up an otter fishing in the pond, as well as a barn owl hunting there, and volunteers have spotted birds like redpoll and water rail.