Beavers Meet Beavers – Local Scout Group Visits Thriving Rewilding Project
A group of local Beaver Scouts enjoyed a special visit to Enfield's pioneering beaver enclosure this week, to celebrate the remarkable success of the borough's animal reintroduction programme.
Recent monitoring has confirmed the continued growth of the beaver family living at Archers Wood near Forty Hall, with new kits spotted alongside their parents.
The sightings identified at least 11 beavers living on the site, making the project one of London’s most successful species reintroduction programmes.
To mark the milestone, members, young leaders and volunteers of 4th Enfield Beavers were invited for an exclusive evening tour of the enclosure, which is a joint project between Enfield Council and Capel Manor College, London’s environmental college
Accompanied by experts from the Council and College, the young people learned how their animal namesakes are helping to transform the local environment by creating wetlands, enhancing biodiversity and naturally reducing flood risk. The special visit coincided with the 40th anniversary of the Beaver Scouts in the UK.
The group visited the site at dusk and gathered at the recently constructed viewing platform in the hope of spotting the elusive creatures. While the beavers remained hidden, the young visitors were shown footage captured by monitoring cameras of the animals felling trees, building dams and foraging for food within the expanding habitat.
These animals became the first beavers to return to London in more than 400 years when they were reintroduced to the site after centuries of absence. Since being reintroduced in 2022, the beavers have transformed the landscape in Enfield. Their natural engineering has created new wetland habitats that support a wide variety of wildlife while helping to slow the flow of water through the catchment.
Their role is becoming increasingly important as changing weather patterns bring greater extremes of drought and heavy rainfall. The beaver dams help retain water during dry periods and reduce the speed of water moving downstream, helping to lower flood risk in communities such as Edmonton.
The success of the project forms part of Enfield Council’s wider ambition to restore nature across the borough through the Enfield Chase Landscape Restoration programme. The Council and its partners are working to transform 1,500 hectares of farmland and green spaces, creating new habitats, improving public access to nature and supporting climate resilience across north London.
Cllr Andrew Thorp, Enfield Council’s Cabinet Member for Communications and Customer Services, said:
“Few people get the chance to meet the animals they share their name with, so it was wonderful to welcome 4th Enfield Beavers to our beaver enclosure and celebrate two very special milestones together.
“The growth of our beaver family is a remarkable success story for Enfield and demonstrates how nature-based solutions can help tackle some of the biggest environmental challenges we face. From reducing flood risk to boosting biodiversity, these animals are already making a significant difference to our local environment.
“Beaver Scouts give young people a place to belong, and I’m super proud that our animal beaver family have their place to belong here in Enfield ”
Victoria Beckwith, Capel Manor College’s Head of Forty Hall Farm added:
“We at Capel Manor College are incredibly excited to see beaver numbers growing year on year at Forty Hall Farm and the positive impact they are having on the local landscape, from natural water management and habitat creation to supporting greater biodiversity.
“Working with Enfield Council and our wider partners, this project brings together conservation, education and community engagement, while giving our students a unique opportunity to learn from a living landscape. We are excited about its future and the potential to expand the project further, with the longer-term ambition of exploring beaver reintroduction.”
