CHILDREN at Benarty Primary School on Thursday were given a close up of why Beavers are so important to Scotland.

The Lochleven Road school had two special visitors on Thursday in the shape of ladies from the Scottish Wildlife Trust who were able to give youngsters across the school's age range a chance to study how Beavers are now a prominent sight on river banks these days.

It was in May 2009, the Scottish Wildlife Trust, in partnership with the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and Forestry Commission Scotland, released the first wild beavers in Scotland in over 400 years. The Scottish Beaver Trial was one of the largest field trials of its kind in Europe and aimed to help the Scottish Government make an informed decision on the future of the species in Scotland.

An independent scientific monitoring programme was carried out by Scottish Natural Heritage to assess the effect that the trial population had on the local environment and how well they settled in Scotland.

This evidence contributed to a comprehensive report on Beavers in Scotland, which was published and presented to the Scottish Government in 2015.

The beaver families are now well settled in Knapdale Forest, Mid-Argyll and following the decision to allow beavers to stay in Scotland, the Trust are working to reinforce the population to ensure their long term future.

Why reintroduce beavers? Eurasian beavers are a native species to the UK, but they were hunted to extinction in the 16th Century. They are one of the world’s best natural engineers, with an incredible ability to create new wetlands, restore native woodland and improve conditions for a wide range of species including dragonflies, otters and fish.

The return of beavers can also boost wildlife tourism. Knapdale’s beavers have attracted visitors from around the world, bringing social and economic benefits to the area.

The Benarty kids loved being able to hear at first hand how Beavers work so hard to create excellent habitats.

Said Benarty teacher Jacqui Johnstone: "The children of every age group who took part in the day had a great time listening to our two volunteers about how the Beavers were re-introduced to Scotland and about other mammals and birds who populate our river banks.

"The highlight for the kids was to get small toy Beavers of their own from the Wildlife Trust visitors."

The Benarty children will be enjoying a day at Lochore Meadows Country Park this week when they will be recalling everything they have been told about Beavers.