The two species had both been extinct in Britain until relatively recently but could soon be seen at nature reserves in the borough, reports Nick Clark, Local Democracy Reporter
Beavers and white storks are set to be reintroduced to Dagenham after plans were approved by council leaders.
Eastbrookend Country Park and The Chase nature reserve will become home to the two species, which until recently had been missing from Britain for centures.
Barking and Dagenham Council deputy leader Saima Ashraf said their reintroduction would be a “bold and historic moment”.
She said: “This is a once in a generation chance to witness nature’s comeback into your own backyard.”
Beavers and white storks were once native to Britain but were both hunted to extinction in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Now, the council has teamed up with London Wildlife Trust to handle their reintroduction, and says Eastbrookend and The Chase are “exceptional sites” that could support the species’ return.
The two bodies have secured funding from City Hall, the government and corporate sponsers to pay for their joint project.
Plans say the storks will be housed in a special aviary at Eastbrookend Country Park in October.
Beavers will be released into a lakeside enclosure at The Chase in March 2027.
Labour councillor Ashraf said the funding would also pay for a new species recovery officer who could run nature walks, school visits and a voluntary programme.
She said the project would come at “no cost to the local taxpayer”.
The council’s cabinet approved the plans yesterday (Monday 20th).
Cllr Ashraf told the cabinet: “I’m so excited because we’ll be able to watch wild beavers building dams through your local park. You will be able to see white storks raising chicks.
“You will have free guided walks and workshops, amazing educational opportunities for our schools and everybody else and also a wilder, greener park buzzing with life.”
