Mayor Providing Funding for Ealing Rewilding Projects
Money to reintroduce beavers in Greenford and harvest mice in Perivale Wood
Plan to link up reintroduced mice with existing population in Horsenden Hill. Picture: Ealing Wildlife Group
March 21, 2023
Two rewilding projects in Ealing are to receive funding from the Rewild London Fund which was set up by the Mayor to return nature to the capital.
The announcement was made this Monday (20 March) which is World Rewilding Day.
Efforts to bring beavers back to Greenford and restore harvest mice to Perivale Wood are among the 22 schemes to receive grants from the £850,000 fund, delivered by the London Wildlife Trust with commitment from Amazon’s Right Now Climate Fund.
The fund is aiming to give money to projects focusing in and around London’s Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINCs) and the Mayor has committed a further £1mn this year for similar projects.
On (Monday 20th March), The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has reiterated his support for restoring London’s natural biodiversity by committing a further £1m to rewilding the capital.
Citizen Zoo, alongside Ealing Wildlife Group, Ealing Council and Friends of Horsenden Hill is reintroducing beavers back to West London after a 400 year absence. The chosen site in of Paradise Fields in Greenford will be transformed into a flourishing and immersive wetland, combatting the climate crisis and creating a biodiverse ecosystem for plant and animal diversity. Rewild Funding will help drive the project forward.
In 2021 the London Beaver Working Group was established, working to prepare for the natural or assisted return of beavers to the capital. This included a year-long investigation into potential reintroduction sites.
Rewild Funding will help drive the project forward through physical preparation of the chosen site, baseline surveys and establishing monitoring activity. Additionally, a new role will be recruited to manage the project and continue engagement with the local community.
Nick Swallow, Citizen Zoo Fundraising Operations Officer said, “Across Europe and North America, beavers are known to thrive alongside urban communities. Bringing a range of benefits from increasing resilience to the challenges of climate breakdown to enriching people's daily lives, as they encounter these magnificent mammals in their local greenspaces. With the GLA's support and alongside our partners Ealing Wildlife Group, Ealing Council and Friends of Horsenden Hill, we hope to challenge the perceptions of Londoners and demonstrate how London too, can embrace these ecosystem engineers as we strive for a healthier, wilder future in which our Capital can become a leader in urban rewilding, which will greatly benefit not only wildlife populations but local communities too.”
The Eurasian beaver is a native British species. Picture: Ealing Wildlife Group
The Harvest Mouse Reintroduction project at Perivale Wood is also receiving support. This is a Site of Metropolitan Importance and is Britain's second oldest nature reserve. The reserve comprises 27 acres of mostly ancient oak woodland, with 5 acres of neutral unimproved grassland and several ponds. The Selbourne Society owns and manages Perivale Wood, making it one of Britain's oldest conservation organisations.
This project will create new and improved habitats for harvest mice at Perivale Wood, into which harvest mice will be reintroduced. The project will also create wildlife corridors linking the existing population at Horsenden Hill to the habitats at Perivale Wood and railsides to the south. The project will support improvement of the harvest mice breeding facility at Horsenden Farm including provision of an ecology lab for wildlife surveying and community engagement.
There is also funding for London Borough of Ealing SINC Meadows Improvements project which aims to contribute to the London Environment Strategy habitat targets of 50Ha of Flower-rich grassland (in addition to Ealing’s BAP targets). The project will improve and expand a significant area of native wildflower meadows by addressing historic scrub encroachment and subsequent wildflower seed-sowing (including Yellow Rattle). This funding will also facilitate effective ongoing site management through the provision of equipment and expertise.
Sadiq Khan said, “We are now facing dual climate and ecological emergencies worldwide, which further threaten our ability to survive on our planet. Despite the harm inflicted on the natural world, we have the power to make amends, and I am committed to ensuring that London is at the vanguard of efforts to reverse the trends of declining biodiversity and the destruction of nature.
“Rewilding allows nature to take the lead and is an exciting way to create healthier ecosystems and allow humans and wildlife to live together more harmoniously. I’m proud that London is leading the way once again and excited to see what can be achieved with this further £1m of funding. We’re cleaning up our city, re-establishing lost species and reconnecting people and nature as we build a greener, fairer city for all Londoners.”
Mathew Frith, Director of Research and Policy at London Wildlife Trust, Rewild London Fund partner and Rewilding Taskforce member said, “This funding enables an exciting tranche of biodiversity projects to further progress nature’s recovery in the capital. They will help strengthen, enhance and extend the important network of over 1600 Wildlife Sites* that forms the foundations of nature conservation in London, and thereby contribute to a wilder, greener city. “
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