The urban beaver trial is a five-year project, in collaboration with Shrewsbury Town Council who own the Old River Bed nature reserve. The Old River Bed, on the edge of Shrewsbury town centre, is a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) that is protected for the wetland plants found there. STC have managed the site with machinery and grazing livestock for many years, all of which come at a high financial cost.
The site has the potential to be a great wetland habitat for insects, fish, birds and mammals. However, the current ecosystem is impacted by the fast growth of trees such as willow. Wetlands store more CO2 than woodlands, but if left unmanaged, the willow trees at the Old River Bed would soon outgrow other plants, dry the site out and impact its ability to store carbon. Beavers are a nature-based solution that will help the site flourish. They will help to control the growth of willows through natural coppicing* and reduce their impact on the sensitive wetland habitat. Their engineering should also improve water quality for other wildlife as well as slow the flow of water.