A SPECIAL talk is to be held next week over proposals to reintroduce beavers to parts of Wales.

Welsh beaver project officer Alicia Leow-Dyke will be opening up the elusive world of beavers at a free event at the Centre for Alternative Technology on 24 January.

Alicia, of the Radnorshire Wildlife Trust, will talk about beaver ecology, the history and future of beavers in Wales and the impacts that beavers have on ecosystems, looking at how this can benefit many species, including humans.

Once widespread across Europe, the European (or Eurasian) beaver became extinct in Britain around the 16th century due to hunting by humans for their pelts rather than through habitat loss. It is likely that beavers were extinct in Wales as early as the 15th century.

The Wildlife Trust Wales is supporting the Welsh Beaver Assessment Initiative (WBAI) to investigate the feasibility of reintroducing beavers back to Wales, and Alicia’s talk will be a fascinating insight into the project.

In a report by the WBAI they said: “Beavers are often considered a ‘keystone’ species in aquatic environments, with an ability to modify riverine and wetland habitats to the benefit of many other species, with few negative effects.”