Severn Trent customers have heard the inside story of how the company helped reintroduce beavers to Shropshire for the first time in 400 years – sparking a special Christmas delivery.

Named Beryl and Bertie, the reclusive mammals were released into the Old River Bed nature reserve in Shrewsbury in February, to help manage the wetland environment, boost natural floods defences and improve water quality.

And partners Shropshire Wildlife Trust and Shrewsbury Town Council recently revealed the eager beavers have now become mum and dad to a cute baby kit.

The news was welcomed by Bryony Harrison, biodiversity manager at Severn Trent who has lead on Severn Trent Water’s involvement in the project. The water company has contributed some £60,000 for the maintenance of the wetlands, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Life-long environmentalist Bryony recently met with Bernie Jones and Chas Warren, from Shrewsbury and Newport Canals Trust, to talk beavers and biodiversity, over a brew. You can watch that video by clicking here

She told the pals, who are both Severn Trent customers: “Beavers are nature’s engineers and problem solvers. They’re famous for their dams and for working with the watercourse to build the right habitat for them. And in doing that, they have a net positive impact on reducing flooding risk and holding back water can improve water filtration and they also keep invasive plants under control.”

The baby kit arrival has delighted all those involved. “It’s such good news but a bit of a surprise as they have only been at the site since February,” laughed Bryony.

Beavers were hunted to extinction in Britain in the 16th century for their fur. But their absence left a gap in our ecosystems.

The Shropshire Beaver Project saw the two adult beavers relocated from Scotland to a secure enclosure at the Old River Bed nature reserve – an 8.5-hectare site.

The trial will assess how the “ecosystem engineers” transform the wetland habitat, which can come under threat from fast-growing willow trees – which beavers use for food and building.

Bryony joined Severn Trent on the graduate scheme nearly 10 years ago and moved into biodiversity five years ago to align her lifelong love of nature with her work.

The graduate engineer, 32, said: “I’ve always been passionate about wildlife – my dad was an ecologist, so he has been my inspiration.”

Bryony’s varied role at Severn Trent has allowed her to enjoy spending time in the Shropshire countryside, in and outside of work. She said: “It’s a beautiful county and schemes like this add to its biodiversity. I love working in the county and often take bike rides after work to enjoy its stunning nature.”

Bryony and her award-winning team have already helped restore over 16,000 hectares of habitat and supported species recovery for water voles, birds, and now beavers.

In April 2020 the company launched its Great Big Nature Boost commitments, planting 1.3m trees and helping to improve and enhance 5000ha of habitat.  Yet figures earlier this year revealed that over 11,500 hectares is now thriving across the region.

The dedicated team also ensure Severn Trent capital projects have a positive environmental impact, with the aim of boosting ‘biodiversity net gain’ at each site by 15% – well above Government requirements of 10%.

Bryony said: “Our team are very proud of delivering all these projects.

“Seeing a project go from proposal to reality and knowing it’s making a difference is the best part of my job. It’s about working with nature, which is a win-win for everyone.”

*To learn more about the beavers project visit www.shropshirewildlifetrust.org.uk and for Shrewsbury and Newport Canals Trust visit https://sncanal.org.co.uk