Sam Alexander Photography
Bring Beavers Back: Big Give Earth Raise campaign 22 - 29 April 2026
Double the difference to bring beavers back to Dorset
This year we are participating in the Big Give Earth Raise campaign, raising £50,000 through matched donations to reintroduce wild beavers in Dorset. Every pound you donate between 22 and 29 April up to £25,000 is doubled by the Big Give's match funding secured from philanthropists and our own match funding provided by an incredibly generous supporter. We have just one week to unlock the matched funds, and we can't do it without your help.
Beavers are a keystone species – vital for our natural environment – that help combat biodiversity loss and climate change. Previously hunted to extinction but now recognised by the UK Government as a resident native species, they are making a comeback but are still missing from the landscape at a meaningful scale. For beavers to thrive as a genetically diverse and healthy population, and maximise the benefits they bring, they need our help in the form of legally licensed, controlled reintroductions.
Steve Oliver
Help shape a future where free‑living beavers restore our rivers and their wildlife, whilst strengthening our resilience to climate change.Rivers Conservation Officer, Dorset Wildlife Trust
Reintroducing beavers to Dorset
In 2021, our enclosed project saw beavers return to Dorset for the first time in 400 years. Independent research has found that beaver activity has slowed the flow of water across the site and created a diverse wetland habitat. Wildlife, including dragonflies, amphibians, bats and birds, is flourishing as a result.
Beavers are ecosystem engineers with the ability to restore wetlands, boost biodiversity, reduce flood risk and improve water quality. Well-planned licensed beaver reintroductions will facilitate a healthy and thriving population, helping to maximise the multiple benefits these animals bring.
We will work closely with local communities and key stakeholders to gain support, address queries and raise awareness and understanding of what it means to live alongside beavers once again.
Jo Hackman Photography
Online Talk: Bring Beavers Back to Dorset
Sign up to this exclusive online talk from Steve Oliver, Dorset Wildlife Trust's Rivers Conservation Officer, who will be joined by Gen Crisford, Project Officer for Beavers and Wetlands for the National Trust. There will be exclusive updates on this local project, including exciting findings from the scientific research that has taken place.
David Camp / Kingfisher at the Dorset Beaver Project site
International Beaver Day
Learn more about beavers and their incredible impact on local birds at the Dorset Beaver Project site.
Sign up to beaver updates
On 8 February 2021, following years of preparation, a pair of beavers (an adult male and female) were released into an enclosed site in west Dorset, having been relocated from Scotland under licence from NatureScot. Since then, the pair have settled well into their new home, having multiple generations of kits and transforming the project site into a wonderful wetland world.
Sign up below to receive exclusive updates from the experts on Dorset Wildlife Trust's beaver project.