One success story however comes from the Holnicote Estate in Somerset, where the introduction of beavers to create wetlands has helped the area remain green and lush despite this summer’s drought.
The National Trust said the scheme showed the value of “nature-based solutions”, in which natural features such as rivers connected with floodplains and wildlife including beavers are used to deliver benefits for landscapes and people.
Ben Eardley, project manager at Holnicote, said: “For generations as a nation we’ve drained wetlands, straightened rivers and moved water off the land as quickly as possible.
“Here we’ve reversed that approach, and the results are remarkable.”
Updating the conservation guidance is one of 130 projects being funded through Natural England’s £60m Species Recovery Programme, as part of the Wild Again: Restoring England’s Wildlife initiative, the largest-ever UK government investment in wildlife recovery.
