St Gabriel’s schoolchildren name baby beavers born in Ewhurst Park and meet Stanley Johnson, father of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, at education day

The first beavers born in Hampshire since the 1600s have been officially named Bobby and Barry.

The two baby beavers, called kits, were born this summer in an enclosure at Ewhurst Park, south of Tadley, and their names were chosen as part of a competition for children run by the 925-acre country estate.

St Gabriel’s Year 1 pupil Robyn Taylor put forward the name Barry on behalf of the school, while Bobby was suggested by the 3rd Alton Beaver Scouts Kestrel Colony.

Members of the St Gabriel’s Year 5 Pathfinder Club, an outdoor education initiative, were presented with handmade wooden plaques to mark the occasion by former Member of the European Parliament, author and environmentalist Stanley Johnson during a tour of the beaver enclosure on Friday, November 15.

Mr Johnson—father of the former Prime Minister Boris Johnson—said: “As the former MEP for East Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, I am absolutely delighted to be here today for this wonderful beaver naming event.

“I want to congratulate all those who took part in the beaver naming competition, including of course, the winners, and the beavers themselves.”

The children’s visit to the beaver enclosure was part of a week-long educational program hosted by Ewhurst Park.

St Gabriel’s pupils explored the enclosure, learned about beaver ecology, and took part in conservation activities, including constructing bug hotels to provide habitats for insects.

Ewhurst Park director Mandy Lieu said: “Education and outreach are essential to our ethos here at Ewhurst Park.

“We love to welcome children on-site and are delighted to engage the next generation with the wonderful world of beavers and the importance of connecting with nature.”

Bobby and Barry are the offspring of Chompy and Hazel, two wild beavers who were released onto the estate in January last year.

They were the first beavers to reside in Hampshire for 400 years.

The introduction of beavers into Ewhurst is part of a biodiversity project spearheaded by Ms Lieu—a Malaysian-born environmentalist, entrepreneur and former model—after she bought the estate in 2020.

It was hoped that Chompy and Hazel would mate, and the arrival of the two kits has been heralded as a triumph for the local ecosystem.

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust’s CEO Debbie Tann said: “The arrival of two kits at Ewhurst Park is a remarkable and heartwarming milestone for Hampshire’s natural environment.

“This naming competition offers a wonderful opportunity for the community to connect with these incredible animals and witness first-hand the positive impact they bring to our natural world.”

Beaver Trust’s head of education Eva Bishop said: “The expansion of this family unit shows these beavers are well settled.

“Kits tend to stay with their family group until around two years old, developing the skills they need for life by learning alongside their parents, so Bobby and Barry have plenty of time to inspire a love of nature among local children.

“It is so important to the species’ return that opportunities like this help address our cultural appreciation of beavers and the natural world.”

Being a keystone species, beavers play an important role in increasing bio-diversity.

Their dams create wetlands in which insects and plants can thrive, which in turn attracts a range of other animals such as birds and voles.

Their activities reduces water pollution and has been shown to prevent flooding too.