Chris Jones, a beef farmer based in Cornwall, has expressed his admiration for the benefits brought by beavers on his farm since their introduction in 2017. These benefits include preventing drought, inhibiting local flooding, bolstering the local economy, and improving oyster beds in Falmouth Bay. Originally hunted to extinction in England for their fur and oil, beavers are anticipated to be reintroduced into the wild for the first time in centuries, following the government’s recent approval for such releases.
The influence of these industrious rodents is palpable as one ventures further into Jones’s envelopment, where the wetland transformation is evident. Jones has noticed significant changes in the soil, now damper and conducive to cattle grazing, and the presence of partially nibbled willow branches signaling the beavers’ construction endeavors.
Jones envisions a broader implementation of beaver release schemes, believing it could transform landscapes into expansive wetland ecosystems extending to the sea. Noting the beavers’ role in natural water filtration, he points to a study which found that river sections near his farm had an 80% lower level of nitrates than areas upstream.
Committed to the well-being of his farm’s wildlife, Jones has doubled soil carbon since embarking on rewilding efforts and introduced cows grazing among trees to support various small mammals and birds of prey. He underscores the duality of his goals, balancing agricultural productivity with the promotion of biodiversity.
While the introduction of beavers was initially met with resistance, Jones recounts the positives, from boosting local businesses to mitigating flooding. He emphasizes the beavers’ role in retaining silt that could otherwise pollute oyster beds in Falmouth Bay, thus contributing positively to the environment.
Jones, while reminiscing the first encounter with beavers ready to be released on his farm, expresses his excitement about the rapid positive changes introduced by these animals. He reflects on the obstacles encountered in fast-tracking the expansion of such projects and his aspirations to reintroduce storks to Cornwall, highlighting the broad potential of these
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/feb/28/ultimate-bringers-of-life-cornwall-farmer-beavers-stop-flooding
