Geomob Podcast - 343. Daveron Smith: Beaver Consideration Assessment Toolkit

In this Geomob podcast episode, Daveron Smith from Natural England discusses the importance of beavers as “ecosystem engineers” that create wetlands, reduce flood risk, improve water quality, boost biodiversity, and increase resilience to climate change. He also introduces the Beaver Consideration Assessment Toolkit (BCAT), a public tool developed by Natural England and the Environment Agency to assess the suitability and potential impacts of beaver reintroductions. The toolkit combines multiple models to support decision-making and identify areas where beaver activity may bring benefits or require monitoring. While BCAT is designed for national use, Smith notes that its outputs rely on modeled data and should be used alongside local knowledge.

Relevant links:

• Beaver Management website
• The Beaver Considerations Assessment Toolkit