Beavers are to be reintroduced in two parts of Britain as part of plans to help control flooding, the National Trust announced on Wednesday.

The charity, which manages historic properties and countryside, said it aimed to release Eurasian beavers at two sites in southern England early next year.

"The dams the beavers create will hold water in dry periods, help to lessen flash-flooding downstream and reduce erosion and improve water quality by holding silt," said Ben Eardley, project manager at one of the sites.

Beavers were hunted out of existence in Britain in the 16th century because of demand for their fur, meat and scent glands.

There have since been several controlled reintroductions of the mammals, including in western Scotland.

Beavers have been described as "nature's engineers", whose work can help create wetland habitats to support a range of species from insects to wildfowl.

Beavers in river catchment areas would "help make our landscape more resilient to climate change and the extremes of weather it will bring", Eardley said.

He will oversee the reintroduction of one pair of beavers at Holnicote, near Exmoor National Park in southwest England.

Another pair will be released on the Black Down Estate, on the edge of the South Downs on the English south coast.

They will all be introduced in fenced-off woodland areas. Experts will then monitor changes to the habitat that result.

The National Trust is aiming to restore 25,000 hectares (62,000 acres) of "wildlife-rich habitats" by 2025, amid concern at a decline in species since 1970.

Parts of northern England have been hit by severe flooding in recent weeks, with some areas having their wettest autumn on record, according to the Met Office weather agency.

Eighteen flood warnings were in place on Wednesday morning, with 58 further alerts notifying possible flooding, the Environment Agency said.

As well as prolonged heavy rainfall, building on flood plains, poor flood defences and maintenance of watercourses are among the contributory factors.

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
When the Earth Quakes
A world of storm and tempest

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Venice comes up for air after week of record flooding
Rome (AFP) Nov 18, 2019
Venice sought to return to normal life on Monday after a week of unprecedented flooding that devastated the city, submerging homes, business and cultural treasures. The wave of bad weather that struck throughout Italy - from rivers of water rushing through the streets of the southern town of Matera to tornados in the Grosseto region of Tuscany - was still a concern in certain areas, and was expected to continue. In the north, the Trentino-Alto Adige region bordering Austria was at high risk of ... read more