Nature's Engineers Are Being Let Back In
Around 100 beavers are set to be released into the wild across England this year, after Natural England licensed new wild-release projects and identified up to 32 more sites that could qualify. Beavers are ecosystem engineers in the same mold as the woylie: their dams slow the flow of water, rebuild wetland habitat, filter out pollutants, and hold water in the landscape so it is there in drought and less destructive in flood. One family can do downstream flood protection that would cost a small fortune to engineer, and then maintains it for free. The catch is patience, since each project plan runs at least ten years, which is about how long this kind of recovery takes to show its full effect.Around 100 beavers are set to be released into the wild across England this year, after Natural England licensed new wild-release projects and identified up to 32 more sites that could qualify. Beavers are ecosystem engineers in the same mold as the woylie: their dams slow the flow of water, rebuild wetland habitat, filter out pollutants, and hold water in the landscape so it is there in drought and less destructive in flood. One family can do downstream flood protection that would cost a small fortune to engineer, and then maintains it for free. The catch is patience, since each project plan runs at least ten years, which is about how long this kind of recovery takes to show its full effect.Expert summary pending. Showing the newcomer version.