As well as helping to make the Moss wetter, the beavers will give a helping hand to nature. By improving the soil and water quality they will make it a place other creatures want to live. We expect to see a boost in the number of bats, dragonflies, and birds. So, Veolia and our other donors are helping to create a place rich with wildlife for local people to enjoy for years to come.Staffordshire Wildlife Trust
Brilliant beavers set to restore Staffordshire bog
Thanks to hundreds of generous donations and a substantial grant from Veolia Environmental Trust, later this year a family of beavers will be welcomed to Craddocks Moss, a degraded peat bog near Newcastle-under-Lyme.
These amazing creatures will make the future of this internationally important Staffordshire bog much brighter.
This exciting news follows a fundraising appeal by Staffordshire Wildlife Trust (SWT) and a sizeable grant from the Veolia Environmental Trust through the Landfill Communities Fund.
In recent years, saplings and brambles have slowly crept over the bog, drying out the peat and releasing carbon into the atmosphere. While the deep pools of water make this a treacherous and difficult place for volunteers and staff to work, beavers won’t have any issues and will help prevent the bog from being lost to woodland.
Jeff Sim, Head of Nature Reserves and Species Recovery, said: “Beavers are the natural way to bring balance back to this fragile habitat. They are master munchers so will quickly curb the spread of saplings and brambles which are drying out this bog.
“We’ve dreamt of making this place wetter and wilder, and now thanks to the local community, beavers will make this a reality!
“As well as helping to make the Moss wetter, the beavers will give a helping hand to nature. By improving the soil and water quality they will make it a place other creatures want to live. We expect to see a boost in the number of bats, dragonflies, and birds. So, Veolia and our other donors are helping to create a place rich with wildlife for local people to enjoy for years to come."
This exciting project has been made possible thanks to Veolia Environmental Trust (VET) who gave a £133,800 grant and more than £45,000 that has been donated by local people, businesses and organisations. This funding will create a safe and secure home for the beavers and monitor their initial impact on this important habitat - including soil quality and the variety of plants and animals.
Craddocks Moss is being taken over by saplings, which are drying out the peat.
An aerial photo showing how Craddocks Moss should look - wet! Beavers will help restore it to a wet bog once again. Photo by Ben Wiles.
Responding to this news, Andrew Brown, Executive Director at Veolia Environmental Trust said: “We’re very excited to help support the ongoing work at
Craddocks Moss, which will make a terrific and positive environmental impact to the local area.
“Now with the beavers ready to move into their new homes, everyone at VET hopes they enjoy their new surroundings and congratulate everyone at Staffordshire Wildlife Trust for the amazing restorative work they have done to their local environment!”
Once their new home is ready, a beaver pair will travel from Scotland to the large 47 acre site (the size of 26 football pitches).
Updates of the project progress will be posted on social media and on a dedicated webpage here: Beavers at Craddocks Moss
Staffordshire Wildlife Trust expressed its gratitude to the Veolia Environmental Trust and the Landfill Communities Fund for supporting the project, which will secure the future of this rare bog and the wildlife it supports.