‘The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter’ on Thursday’s Access Utah
Beavers are a keystone species whose existence supports entire ecosystems. In earlier centuries they were killed by the millions in North America. There is a growing group of scientists, ranchers, and enthusiasts called ‘Beaver Believers” who advocate for these important rodents. Today we’ll talk with environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb, author of “Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter,” and Cache Valley resident Nate Norman, who works with the USU Beaver Ecology and Relocation Center.
BeaverCON 2022 to Demonstrate How Beavers Help Build Climate Resilience
HUNT VALLEY, Md., June 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — BeaverCON 2022, an international conference for environmental professionals and practitioners that will explore the ecosystem services provided by beavers, will be held from June 14-16, 2022, at the Delta Hotel Baltimore Hunt Valley in Maryland. This year’s conference theme, “Building Climate Resilience: A Nature-Based Approach,” will highlight the important connection between beavers and climate resilience. Beaver-created wetlands boost climate resilience by increasing biodiversity, storing water that recharges groundwater while creating natural wildfire breaks, improving water quality, and reducing storm flood events.
Co-hosted by Ecotone, an ecological restoration firm in Maryland, and the Beaver Institute in Massachusetts, BeaverCON topics will include land management issues, co-existence strategies, hydrologic impact of beaver on water systems, beaver dam analog in restoration, and many more. Forty-three speakers have committed from Canada, Norway, England, Wales, and across the United States.
The keynote speaker will be Hilary Harp Falk, President and CEO of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF), the largest nonprofit conservation organization dedicated solely to preserving, protecting, and restoring the Chesapeake Bay. She has spent her career building strong, authentic partnerships, and is a proven expert in large-scale ecosystem restoration and leading organizational change. During her time at CBF, she has led programs including wildlife conservation, coastal resiliency, water policy, greenhouse gas reduction, and environmental education.
Although beavers have been considered a nuisance for decades – and often killed – an emerging field of research suggests beavers deliver natural benefits that, at worst, compliment the design and construction provided by restoration professionals – and, at best, are more sustainable, more cost-effective, and offer less disturbance. Several presenters will discuss modern tools for human-beaver conflict management such as flow devices and pond levelers. Another hot topic this year is recent research that beavers help prevent the spread of wildfires and provide refuge for wildlife during wildfires.
