A breeding colony of white storks will be re-introduced to London for the first time in 600 years as part of a rewilding project.
The native birds, which were driven to extinction in Britain in the 1400s, will be located in Eastbrookend Country Park in Dagenham from October next year, making the site the second publicly accessible white stork reintroduction project in the country.
Beavers will also be released at the park in March 2027. These rodents were first reintroduced in the capital in 2023 at a nature reserve in Greenford, Ealing.
The new project in east London received £500,000 from the mayor of London’s Green Roots Fund, Barking and Dagenham Council and the London Wildlife Trust.
Sam Davenport, director of nature recovery at London Wildlife Trust said he hoped the reintroduction of white storks and beavers could inspire an “ambitious future for nature recovery in the capital”.
Sir Sadiq Khan’s Green Roots Fund will see a £12m investment over the next three years in projects that aim to make London greener, healthier and more climate resilient.
“Access to nature is an issue of social justice and it can’t just be those who live in the countryside who get to share their home with our amazing wild creatures,” Sir Sadiq said.
“Everyone deserves to enjoy nature, no matter where they live. This is only the beginning of the change we will see.”