JUST a year on since the first beavers were released into the wild at Studland, the natural eco engineers have been transforming woodland, dramatically reshaping part of the local landscape and turning a previously dense area of woodland into a thriving wildlife-rich wetland.

The pair have built an extensive dam which has slowed the flow of a small stream and created a deep pond. Coppicing trees has opened up the canopy, allowing light to flood in and creating an ideal habitat for plants, insects, amphibians, birds and bats.

Trail cameras have recently captured rare footage of the beavers mating, indicating they have settled in their new home and that there could be kits this summer. The beavers are one of two pairs that the National Trust released into Little Sea lake in March 2025, under the first license of its kind to be granted by Natural England.

Hunted to extinction on mainland Britain in the 16th century, wild beavers are now poised to play a crucial role in restoring ecosystems. The Trust has recently added to its wild release beaver numbers with a successful reintroduction of several animals on the Holnicote Estate in Exmoor after being granted a further licence.

Since their reintroduction, the beavers have explored widely, searching for a suitable place to establish a territory. In the early months, they investigated several locations that proved unsuitable – the female even swam by sea to Swanage but was relocated to Little Sea for welfare reasons. The pair have now settled, building an impressive 35‑metre dam where the ecological impacts – and benefits – of their activity are already becoming clear.

The dam has slowed the flow of a small stream, creating a deep and extensive pond. The trail cameras have already picked up an otter fishing in the pond, as well as a barn owl hunting there and volunteers have spotted birds like redpoll and water rail.

Gen Crisford, the National Trust’s wetlands project officer, says: “The effect on the ecosystem in a relatively short time is astonishing. From dense tangled woodland, the beavers have created a light and airy wetland teeming with life above and below the water. We can’t wait to see what wildlife appears this spring and summer – from dragonflies, diving beetles and butterflies to frogs and newts – and of course, all the animals that feed off them.

“It’s important to remember that the trees the beavers fell don’t die – they quickly sprout new shoots. In fact, regular coppicing like this is essential for keeping the woodland healthy. Not only have the beavers breathed new life into the landscape, but there are also indications that by slowing the flow of the stream, they are helping prevent the nearby road from flooding in heavy rain.”

The new beavers joined another pair on the lake, which had arrived there by unknown means prior to the government licence being granted. That pair have successfully raised three kits and constructed two large lodges, one each side of the 33-hectare (82 acre) lake.

Beavers’ instinctive dam-building plays an important role in climate resilience. By slowing water flow and creating wetlands, beavers help retain water during both floods and droughts, benefiting nature and local communities. Their natural dams also filter out sediment, improving water quality downstream.

The next planned wild beaver release on the Purbeck Heaths National Nature Reserve is expected to take place this autumn, although the exact location has yet to be confirmed.

Photographs © National Trust: The beaver release at Little Sea in March 2025, photograph by James Dob son; a beaver kit swimming at Little Sea, photograph by Pam Bellam; a beaver at Little Sea, photograph by Gary Jacobs.