A family of beavers will be arriving in Northamptonshire this autumn to help manage and restore a wetland habitat by reshaping its waterways.

The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Northamptonshire has announced the reintroduction of a family of beavers to the Nene Wetlands nature reserve. Expected to arrive in later this year, these beavers will help manage and restore the wetland habitat by reshaping its waterways, reducing scrub growth, and enhancing the reed bed areas.

In partnership with Anglian Water’s Get River Positive (GRP) programme, this reintroduction marks the return of beavers to Northamptonshire for the first time in 400 years. This project will support GRP’s third commitment which is 'to create new habitats allowing wildlife to thrive'.

The family- a duo and their kits, will be released within a 17-hectare enclosure at the Delta Pit wetland near Rushden Lakes Shopping Centre later this year. Once settled into their new home they will begin managing and transforming their new home.

Ben Casey, Beaver Project Officer at the Wildlife Trust said: “We are very excited to be releasing beavers at the Nene Wetlands – they are a real symbol of how we can bring nature back if we work together. We are putting in place everything the beavers need to make a home, but in the long term they will be doing a lot of the hard work changing the lake into a more diverse, wildlife rich wetland habitat.

“As well as showing what beavers can contribute to an ecosystem, we also hope to tell their story and inspire children and adults so that they will help us protect wildlife for generations to come.”

Beavers are considered “ecosystem engineers” as they’re able to completely transform the landscape that surrounds them – benefitting other wildlife that uses the same space and helping the environment thrive.

Introducing the beavers to the reserve will also reduce the need for existing site management by staff and contractors on site, as the furry engineers will remove willow growth around lake edges and diversify vegetation through their foraging behaviours.

Chris Gerrard, Head of Landscape Transformation at Anglian Water said: “Reintroducing iconic species like beavers is another step towards bring back our natural ecosystems – such as wetlands.

“Restoring habitats and working collaboratively is at the heart of Anglian Water’s Get River Positive commitments and we’re proud to support the Wildlife Trust in the next stages of this very exciting project.”

The project is well under way, with the next stages focusing on preparatory work including tree management and the construction of a new fence for the enclosure.

Further information about the beavers before their arrival can be found on the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire’s Beaver Appeal here.