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Beavers and white storks set to make a historic return to East London

London Wildlife Trust, in partnership with Barking and Dagenham Council, is delighted to announce ‘Rewilding East London’, a new species recovery project to reintroduce white storks and beavers into East London.

The project is a bold step towards a more hopeful future for nature in the UK’s capital city.  Bringing back these species will create lasting connections between nature and the community, rewilding the landscape in the heart of East London to boost biodiversity and local wellbeing.    

Rewilding East London will be delivered in partnership between London Wildlife Trust and the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham and supported by the Mayor of London. The project will increase local biodiversity while improving access to nature, outdoor learning, and create opportunities for growth. It forms part of London Wildlife Trust’s wider mission to restore nature, enrich ecosystems, and reconnect people with wildlife across the capital.  

A white stork standing in a marshy, grassy area. It has a long orange beak and black edges to its wings.

White stork © Derek Gow Consultancy

Set at Eastbrookend Country Park in Dagenham, the project builds on extensive work to restore and expand important wetland habitats, laying the foundations for the reintroduction of these two iconic native species. The storks are expected on site in autumn 2026, with beavers arriving the following year.  

A purpose-built aviary will house the reintroduced white storks, whose chicks will eventually be released to help establish a new breeding population in the area. The large nests of storks provide valuable habitats for smaller birds, and their natural feeding behaviours can support ecosystem health.   

Beaver

Russell Savory

The beavers will be released into a publicly accessible enclosure featuring two lakes, under licence from Natural England. As renowned ‘ecosystem engineers’, beavers have an extraordinary ability to reshape their surroundings, creating rich wetland habitats that support a wide variety of wildlife. These include wetland plants and invertebrate to birds, bats, fish and small mammals.  

Alongside this, an extensive community outreach programme will help Londoners learn about and connect with these iconic native species and give people the chance to play an active role in their return. Rewilding East London will give hope and inspiration through a nature recovery success story in an urban environment; it will build a relationship between Londoners and beavers and storks that inspires pride, an active interest in nature recovery, and a willingness to co-exist with these animals as they become a re-established part of London’s ecology.  

Sam Davenport, Director of Nature Recovery at London Wildlife Trust, said:  
“Reintroducing iconic flagship species like white storks and beavers helps us all to imagine an ambitious future for nature recovery in the capital. It will inspire communities to connect with nature and landowners to create more wetland habitats, in turn, benefiting other species. In this way, the reintroduction of white storks and beavers becomes a catalyst for wider ecological restoration, helping to build a greener, more resilient London for generations to come.” 

Councillor Dominic Twomey, Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, said:  
“Securing £500,000 from the Mayor of London’s Green Roots Fund is a testament to the strength of our partnership with London Wildlife Trust and our shared ambition to restore nature at scale. This is a brilliant achievement for our borough and a real win for our residents. The return of beavers and the reintroduction of white storks to Eastbrookend Country Park will transform how people experience nature in Barking and Dagenham. It’s about more than wildlife — it’s about giving families, schools, and community groups the chance to be part of something inspiring and hopeful. I’m proud that we’re leading the way in London, showing how urban spaces can be places of restoration, learning and connection.” 

Mete Coban, Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy said: 
“It’s a privilege to be able to support ambitious wildlife projects like “Rewilding East London”. Reintroducing white storks and beavers to the capital complements our work to transform neighbourhoods and improve London’s green and blue spaces. Access to nature is a social justice issue and we want to ensure all Londoners can experience the brilliant green spaces and wildlife in this city, as we build a better, greener, and fairer London for everyone.”  

We’d like to thank the Derek Gow Consultancy and the Beaver Trust for their support of this project.  

Learn more about Rewilding East London

Editor's notes

  • Learn more about the Rewilding East London project here. 
  • Learn more about London Wildlife Trust here. 
  • Find out more about the projects funded by the Green Roots Fund and how to apply online.  

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