Urban Rewilding & Community Conservation

Dr Sean McCormack is a vet and conservationist who leads community-driven rewilding in West London. He founded Ealing Wildlife Group in 2016 and is Project Lead and licence holder for the Ealing Beaver Project, which reintroduced Eurasian beavers to London in October 2023, the first in the capital for around 400 years.

Big wildlife wins, on a city doorstep

Sean believes that rewilding isn’t only for remote highlands and big estates. Some of the most powerful conservation happens in parks, on canal banks, on railway verges and in back gardens, led by local people who care. Over the past decade he has helped prove it in one London borough.

The Ealing Beaver Project

How beavers came back to London

The Ealing Beaver Project is a partnership between Ealing Wildlife Group, Citizen Zoo and others, supported by the Mayor of London, Beaver Trust and Friends of Horsenden. Sean is the Project Lead and licence holder.

The release: October 2023

A family of five Eurasian beavers (two adults and three kits) from Tayside in Scotland was released into a large licensed enclosure at Paradise Fields, Greenford. It is a 20-acre former golf course with a stream running through it. It was the UK's first urban beaver reintroduction on a fully public, accessible site, so anyone can walk around it and see the beavers' work.

The first London-born beavers in 400 years: 2024

In spring 2024 the family bred, producing the first beaver kits born in urban London for more than four centuries. More kits followed in 2025 and 2026.

The results so far

Flood resilience: the beavers' dams and pools have turned the site into what Sean calls "a giant sponge that can take heavy rainfall and slowly release water back into the landscape". The high flood-risk area downstream, near Greenford station, has stayed dry through winters when it used to flood.

Biodiversity: ten new bird species, three new bat species and two new breeding amphibians have been recorded, along with a boom in rare brown hairstreak butterflies and freshwater invertebrates.

Cleaner water: the dams filter sediment and improve water quality.

Value for money: "We said the beavers can do it for a fraction of the cost, certainly more sustainably," says Sean, compared with engineered flood defences.

People: thousands of visitors, guided walks, school groups, volunteers and a funded Urban Beaver Officer post.

On screen and in the news

The Ealing beavers star in the award-winning short film Beavers in Paradise (Matt Brierley for Citizen Zoo, 2023). They featured on BBC One in Sir David Attenborough's Wild London (January 2025; watch on iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002hzg7), where Sir David visited Paradise Fields. In 2026 their story went global, with coverage from CNN, NPR, CBC and the BBC.

"Let's mitigate the negative effects and harness the positive." – Sean on living alongside beavers

What's next

Sean is campaigning for beavers born in Ealing to go on to boost the genetic diversity of wild populations elsewhere in the UK, now that the law and licensing have changed, "and not just into other enclosures."

Rewilding Ealing: More Projects

Harvest mice: Britain's smallest rodent returns

Sean and Ealing Wildlife Group bred and released harvest mice across the borough, with more than 3,700 released at five sites by 2026. These included Perivale Wood, where the species had not been seen since 1981. Sean showed the project on CBeebies' Teeny Tiny Creatures, and Sir David Attenborough held one of the mice for Wild London, which Sean placed in his hands, a boyhood dream come true.

Peregrine falcons at Ealing Hospital

EWG installed a nest box and a live webcam for the peregrines nesting at Ealing Hospital. Their breeding seasons are now watched by people around the world.

Great crested newts, bats and hedgehogs

Volunteer task days and licensed surveys protect Ealing's great crested newts, one of Britain's largest amphibians. The group's first project restored Boles Meadow in Brent River Park for bats. Its annual public BioBlitz invites the public to record as many plants and animals as they can, from dawn to dusk.

A crowdfunded nature reserve

EWG crowdfunded the transformation of a derelict, flood-prone allotment site into a new community nature reserve, Costons Lane Nature Reserve in Greenford.

Shaping local policy

Sean has helped draft Species Action Plans for priority species in the London Borough of Ealing's Biodiversity Action Plan. He has also contributed to local forums protecting green spaces.

Recognition

In 2023 Ealing Wildlife Group received the King's Award for Voluntary Service, and Sean met His Majesty King Charles III to talk about the beaver project. Sean is also an Ambassador for Beaver Trust.

Work With Sean

Topics Sean covers

Sean advises councils, landowners, developers, schools and community groups on:

urban rewilding and nature-based solutions to flooding
species reintroduction projects (licensing, welfare, monitoring and community engagement)
setting up and growing volunteer conservation groups
public engagement, events and communications for conservation projects
wildlife welfare from a veterinary perspective

Frequently asked questions

Are there wild beavers in London?

Yes. In October 2023 a family of Eurasian beavers was released at Paradise Fields in Greenford, West London, as part of the Ealing Beaver Project led by Dr Sean McCormack. The beavers bred in 2024, 2025 and 2026, producing the first kits born in urban London for more than 400 years.

Where can I see the Ealing beavers?

The beavers live in a licensed enclosure at Paradise Fields, Greenford (UB6). The site is open to the public, and self-guided routes and guided walks are available through the Ealing Beaver Project. Beavers are mostly active at dusk, so look for their dams, gnawed trees and pools during the day.

How do beavers help prevent flooding?

Beaver dams slow the flow of water and spread it across wetlands, which then release it gradually. At Paradise Fields this “sponge effect” has helped keep a flood-prone area downstream, near Greenford station, dry during heavy rain.

Who founded Ealing Wildlife Group?

Dr Sean McCormack founded Ealing Wildlife Group in 2016 and chaired it for ten years. He stepped down as Chair in April 2026 and continues as the group’s Rewilding & Conservation Officer.

What is urban rewilding?

Urban rewilding means restoring natural processes and missing species in towns and cities, for example by reintroducing beavers or harvest mice, creating wetlands and wildflower meadows, and connecting green spaces. It helps wildlife, reduces flooding and heat, and gives people everyday contact with nature.