Bring back the beaver! How castor fiber can help Britain adapt to climate change - POSTPONED

This event has been postponed due to planned rail and tube strikes on the 8th of April and will occur at a later time.

Beavers were hunted to extinction in Britain 400 years ago, but are now being re-introduced into enclosures in England and Wales, with a growing wild population in Scotland. There is mounting evidence that beavers not only help to create flourishing ecosystems, but also reduce the risk of flooding, drought and wildfire through the natural engineering of their habitats. With Britain facing heavier rainfall, and more frequent and intense heatwaves, beavers could play a key role in our adaptation and resilience to the impacts of climate change. However, there is inconsistency of policy across Britain and delay within Westminster over the release of beavers at licensed locations so that their potential benefits can be fully realised. This public event will examine the science, economics and politics of beavers in our battle against climate change, with leading experts from the UK and overseas.

This event will consist of short presentations followed by a panel discussion and question and answer session with the audience. This event will be jointly hosted by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, the National Trust and the London Climate Change Partnership.

Speakers

Professor Richard Brazier
Director, Centre for Resilience in Environment, Water and Waste, University of Exeter

Professor Emily Fairfax
Department of Geography, Environment, and Society, University of Minnesota

Elliot Newton
Co-Founder, Citizen Zoo

Eva Bishop
Head of Communications & Education, Beaver Trust

Dr Joshua Larsen
Senior Lecturer, School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham

Bob Ward
Chair, London Climate Change Partnership