Our Commitment to Sustainability & Conservation

We're more than a sanctuary for animals…we're a sanctuary for nature.

The Cornish Seal Sanctuary has always been driven by a love for the wildlife and coastline of Cornwall. Nestled on the banks of the Helford Estuary, a designated Special Area of Conservation, we're lucky enough to call one of Cornwall's most precious landscapes home.

And with that comes a responsibility we take very seriously.

Over the past three years, our team has delivered more than 3,000 hours of conservation activity alongside 16 partner organisations, growing our impact year on year.

Here's a glimpse at what we've been up to;

Bringing Wildlife Back

Some of our most exciting work involves reintroducing species that were once lost from our Cornish landscape.

Our Beaver Rehabilitation Programme is the only facility of its kind in Cornwall. Since 2021, we've cared for 10 orphaned beavers, nurturing them from tiny, vulnerable kits into strong, self-sufficient animals ready to return to the wild.

One of our males was even part of the first wild beaver release in the Southwest. On site, we're studying the remarkable impact our  beavers are having on local water quality and biodiversity…and the results are already promising.

Working alongside the Beaver Trust and the Cornwall Wildlife Trust early 2026 saw us release our rehabilitated beavers Parsnip and Turnip back into the wild. This was an amazing moment for the sanctuary and Cornwall. The release forms part of Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s fully licensed programme to return beavers to waterways across Cornwall, a vital step in restoring natural river processes and boosting biodiversity.

Watch the release!

Nurturing Our Habitat

Our site is being transformed, one wildflower at a time. Working with the Wildflower Collective, we're turning grassland into thriving wildflower meadows, providing vital habitat for insects, birds and small mammals. Thanks to the Woodland Trust, we've applied for over 800 native trees and shrubs to create new hedgerows and wildlife corridors across the sanctuary. 

We're also working with the Cornish Black Bee Company to reintroduce this rare native bee to our woodland, and we have an exciting plan in the works to release water voles into our beaver enclosure — which would make us the first site on the Helford to do so.

Every month, our team conducts wetland bird surveys on the Helford Estuary in partnership with the British Trust for Ornithology, contributing valuable data to national conservation records. We've spotted kingfishers, Eurasian nuthatches, and plenty more along the way.

Working Together

We're proud to be part of a wider community of organisations who share our passion for Cornwall's natural world. We work closely with more than 15 partners; from the Seal Research Trust and British Divers Marine Life Rescue to the Cornwall Marine & Coastal Code Group, which our Conservation Officer chairs.

Together, we're pooling knowledge, resources and expertise to make a bigger difference than any of us could alone.

Looking Ahead

We're currently developing a full Sustainability Action Plan for the sanctuary, measuring our carbon footprint and setting clear goals for the future.

Several of our team have been attending carbon literacy and decarbonisation workshops through the University of Exeter, because we know that protecting wildlife starts with protecting the planet they live on.

Protecting Cornwall's Coastline

We love Cornwall's coast…and we know our visitors do too. That's why we work hard to make sure people can enjoy it without harming the wildlife that calls it home.

Our Wildlife Wise Project has reached over 2,000 people through 88 events across Cornwall, educating boat operators, paddleboarders and coastal visitors on how to give wildlife the space it needs. We've campaigned to remove flying rings from local shops — a simple change that protects seals like Wings, who we helped free from an entangled frisbee in St Ives Bay.

We've also placed 15 wildlife signs at sensitive spots along the Cornish coast, all funded by the sanctuary.

And then there are the beach cleans. Every month, our volunteers roll up their sleeves and get to work, removing 331kg of litter from our local shores over the past three years and counting.