In case you always wondered. this appeared on animal planet last year and just dropped on youtube yesterday.

Yellowstone is changing. While many recognize this landscape for its towering peaks and thermal wonders, the true lifeblood of the region is moving beneath the surface. For centuries, the rivers and streams of the American West were maintained by a master architect that was nearly hunted to extinction. Today, the balance of the entire ecosystem rests on the shoulders of the beaver. This documentary, hosted by Dennis Quaid, follows the journey of a beaver family as they engineer survival in a world of plunging temperatures and dwindling water. By mimicking these natural engineers, conservationists are finding ways to combat drought and restore the vibrant, verdant valleys that Lewis and Clark witnessed over two centuries ago.

Beavers are having a moment, thanks to the new Pixar movie “Hoppers.” Amid some body-swapping shenanigans, the film is about humans coexisting with wildlife—particularly oversized rodents capable of reworking landscapes in profound ways.

The beaver science consultant on “Hoppers,” Emily Fairfax, joins Flora to talk about beavers’ brilliant, chaotic landscape engineering, and how the creatures show up in the movie. Then, reporter Zac Ziegler walks Flora through a successful beaver-centric engineering project in Oregon.

Guests:

Emily Fairfax is an assistant professor of geography at the University of Minnesota. She was a science consultant for the Pixar movie “Hoppers.”

Zac Ziegler is a reporter at KLCC in Eugene, Oregon.

Other episodes you may enjoy:

How The Humble Beaver Shaped A Continent
Beavers Build Ecosystems Of Resilience

 

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