Bring Beavers Back Appeal

Bring Beavers Back Appeal

Hatchmere’s precious wetlands are dying, but beavers can help save these special habitats! 

As part of a five-year 'nature-led' project, a pair of beavers were released into a 10 acre enclosure in November 2020, to save and restore the wetland ecosystem at Hatchmere Nature Reserve. 

This summer, we’re delighted to announce the arrival of three new kits! Last summer a pair of kits were discovered – the first to be born in Cheshire for over 400 years! The latest additions to the family mean there are now seven beavers living together at the reserve. 

Watch the latest footage of the beaver family,

What's next?

Thanks for the incredible support we've had so far, we were able to build a beaver proof fence around the 10-acre enclosure and our pair of beavers were released safely into Hatchmere Nature Reserve. But the work doesn’t stop there – there’s a big job still to do. We still need to raise £17,000 to complete our project. If you’d like to be part of this exciting project to bring beavers back to Cheshire, we need your help.  

This is a five-year project which hopes to see: 

  • Hatchmere’s precious wetlands restored by beavers.   

  • We need to look after the beavers and carefully monitor the effects that they have on Hatch Mere lake and the surrounding habitats. We will be working with local universities and beaver experts to help us with this work. 

  • There will be regular checks on the enclosure and the health of the beavers. 

  • We’ll be checking the quality of the water and monitoring other wildlife at Hatchmere including breeding birds, bats, aquatic invertebrates and the rare plants and mosses that make this site so special. 

  • We will also be running regular events so that we can share the work that beavers are doing on site. Keep an eye on our events page for our beaver safari events.  

For the latest news on the project and the impact the beavers are having, you can watch our recent webinar.  

What your donations could do

Monitoring

Donate £32

£32 could survey one acre of habitat for wildlife
beaver on camera

Donate £105

£105 could buy a camera to capture more beaver behaviour
hatchmere

Donate £155

£155 could pay for a water quality test at Hatchmere Lake SSSI

£10 could bring beavers back to more places in Cheshire

£

Find out more

What's the cost?

It costs £17,000 each year (that’s around £300 each week) to look after the beavers and to monitor the effects they’re having on Hatchmere’s wetlands.  The total cost of the five-year trial is £85,000. 

We still have £17,000 left to raise to reach our target. Any donation, no matter how big or small, will go a long way.  

We have every hope that this exciting five-year project will pave the way for further beaver reintroductions in Cheshire and across the UK! 

Donate now

How much have we raised so far?

In September 2020, we reached our first target of £30,000 which allowed us to start work on the beaver-proof fence around the enclosure at Hatchmere Nature Reserve. 

Since their arrival, there's been lots to do! It costs us £17,000 each year (that’s around £300 each week) to look after the beavers and to monitor the effects they’re having on Hatchmere’s wetlands.  

We need £85,000 for the five-year trial project to look after the beavers and monitor the effect they’re having on Hatchmere’s wetlands. We still have £17,000 left to raise to reach our target. Any donation, no matter how big or small, will go a long way.  

Donate now

Why beavers?

  • Beavers are nature’s finest ‘wetland engineers’, driven by instinct and the relentless desire to create their ideal breeding grounds.
  • Beaver dams would raise water levels across the meadows downstream, turning them into a giant water filter. That means purer water for Hatch Mere, which in turn flows out to the River Weaver, on its way to the Mersey and finally the sea.
  • By removing trees and creating standing deadwood, the beavers allow more light to reach the woodland floor. This, along with their digging activities, creates ideal conditions for insects to thrive, in turn attracting a variety of native mammals and birds.
  • The pools help settle river-borne sediment, which keeps the downstream water cleaner…creating ideal conditions for fish to spawn.
  • Cleaner water will then flow out into the neighbouring SSSI – so Hatch Mere and its surrounding peat bog habitats can at last begin to recover.

Why Hatchmere Nature Reserve?

  • Man-made problems are destroying rare habitats at Hatchmere Nature Reserve, and killing aquatic life in the wetlands and in Hatch Mere lake.
  • Peat bogs are delicate habitats which need nutrient-poor water. But the brook flowing into the site has become far too rich and nutrient-packed, so the peat bog plants and animals are losing their fight for survival.
  • Invasive species like nettles and bramble are thriving on the rich water supply – reducing sunlight and accelerating the loss of peat bog life.

More on Hatchmere Nature Reserve

Can I see the beavers if I visit Hatchmere Nature Reserve?

Hatchmere beaver map

The beaver enclosure is located around Hatchmere Brook on the edge of Hatchmere Nature Reserve which inflows into Hatchmere lake. Although the enclosure is not open to the public, part of it can be viewed from the boardwalk at the nature reserve. The 870 metre beaver-proof fence around the enclosure was made possible by generous donations to our beaver appeal. The enclosure is 10 acres - that's about the size of 8eight and a half football pitches!   

During the summer we run regular events so that we can share the work that beavers are doing on site. Keep an eye on our events page for our beaver safari events. Please note, members and donors to our beaver appeal get priority booking for these events. We are limited to how many events we can run each year, to avoid disturbing the beaver family. 

How many beavers are there at Hatchmere?

There are now seven beavers at Hatchmere Nature Reserve. Rowan and Willow were released into the enclosure in November 2020. In July 2022, we discovered the arrival of a pair of kits, Aspen and Bramble. In July 2023 we announced the arrival of three more kits (yet to be named). The kits are expected to stay near the family lodge for several years before dispersing to set up their own territory. 

Other ways to support beavers

Latest beaver news!