Farmer-turned-ecologist Derek Gow is responsible for probably the single most dramatic and subversive nature conservation act of the modern era – rewilding the British landscape with beavers. Since the early 1990s, in the face of opposition from government, landowning élites and even some conservationists, he has imported, quarantined and assisted the re-establishment of beavers in waterways across England and Scotland. He makes the case that the return of the beaver offers a natural solution to flooding and drought, and is a crucial part of the aim to enable the broadest possible spectrum of Britain’s wildlife to thrive.

Kitty Corrigan is a journalist with a special interest in rural and environmental issues.