Fantastic story out of the Walton Foundation today about our favorite subject. Good work by Emily Fairfax getting and keeping everyone’s attention.

“Nature Does Work, If You Let It”

Dr. Emily Fairfax understands if you don’t think much about beavers.

But listening to her opine about their conservation credentials might have you questioning everything you think you know about the impact a single species can have on the health of our wetlands, and climate as a whole.

The University of Minnesota assistant professor and former Walton Family Foundation fellow has spent a career researching the ecohydrology of riparian areas, particularly those that have been impacted by beaver damming.

Before she came to this work, “I thought beavers were just this weak animal that didn’t do anything particularly impressive,” she jokes. Now? “I would describe beavers as the most Before she came to this work, “I thought beavers were just this weak animal that didn’t do anything particularly impressive,” she jokes. Now? “I would describe beavers as the most selfish, stubborn and hard-working architect and engineer you’ve ever met.”

I’m not sure I’d describe beavers as selfish. But I agree they are hard working! I have to say I’m worried about this photo; Only one beaver print on her wall? Is Minnesota such a wasteland? I myself ran out of wall space a long time ago and am now cycling items like the Tate.

I think she might need to stock up with the silent auction at the beaver festival this year, don’t you?

Far from “dinky little structures,” Emily says she has seen beaver dams in northern Minnesota that are six-feet tall and 300-feet long. “They literally hold back lakes.”

At one time in North America, around 400 million beavers fastidiously shaped the continent’s geography via these mega-structures, gnawing and stacking their way to evolutionary security. The wetlands that beaver ponds and dams created at one time covered more than 300,000 square miles, saturating – and thereby fire-proofing – a landmass the size of Texas.

Go read the full article. It’s much better than anything I can say here.

Ellen Wohl is this thursday.
From the Beaver Institute: ·
Check out the lineup for the 2025 Beaver Science & Research Speaker Series – kicking off with the brilliant and legendary Ellen Wohl speaking, on “Beavers as One-Stop River Restoration: Carbon Sequestration, Biodiversity, and Resilience”.
No registration needed, join at the link this Thursday, March 13 at 11am PT / 2pm ET:

I think the line up is wonderful and I’m so glad we get to hear from Sherri again, but I hope someone will explain to me how she is part of a “Science and Research” lineup”?

Sherri is better than science. She’s real experience and heart.

Glad to see this is being planned again. The state of the Beaver is a wonderful west coast event where I officially cut whatever beaver teeth I possess. I remember being star-stuck to meet Glynnis Hood and Sherri Tippie and Mary Obrien and Derek Gow. It was a magical memorable adventure. Plan your November accordingly.

And if you’re looking for something to do right now you should be watching the Big Bear Valley Live Eagle nest cam right now from high in the San Bernadino mountains. There’s fresh snow on the nest and the three babies got fed by a patient and attentive mom this morning. I had no idea eagles nest so early after winter and I was scared mom would freeze last night and her babies with her, but everyone was fine this morning so here’s hoping.

Gosh would you look at that. Another serious problem caused by climate change that beavers can fix. What do you know?

The Silent Crisis: Why Biodiversity Loss May Be Our Biggest Climate Threat

I saw this headline and immediately thought it sounded like something I said. In fact I’m giving a talk next week and its one of my slides. This is from Vermont by Bev Soychak

Letter to the editor: It’s time to see beavers as a solution, not a problem

As one of two founders of the Vermont Beaver Association, I am proud to say we were created by Addison County residents, and we’ve had a fantastic year. In collaboration with organizations and educators across Vermont, we’ve had projects all over the state. Whether it’s working to educate communities, road crews or town selectboards on how to resolve beaver conflicts or educating the ecological and environmental benefits of having and keeping beavers in landscapes, our organization has it all covered. We are supported by experts in the fields of ecology, biology, conservation and hydrological water flow and beaver conflict resolutions. We have so many like-minded associates that it’s been overwhelming, and Vermont Beaver support is growing every day.

It’s not just advocates who face challenges; highly educated professionals in the beaver field are feeling the pressure as well as state officials and legislators. One thing is clear — beavers are either hated or loved.

Like coconut? (Another thing people tend to have strong feelings about). I don’t know. I guess it depends on where you are. I think in Martinez at the beginning beavers just weren’t on anyone’s radar. They were totally unexpected at first. And then terribly feared and misunderstood.

And then hated once public opinion seemed to protect them.

Beavers have long been misunderstood. Survival behaviors that cause conflicts consist mostly of dams and blocked culverts. These can be dealt with by using long-term, high-quality Beaver Deceivers and culvert fencing. Using science like this allows this keystone species to create and manage amazing wetlands that provide protections and habitats for so much flora and fauna. I’ve had the amazing opportunity several times to watch a wasted wetland come to life and turn into an absolutely stunning recreational opportunity, especially for those who want to enjoy wildlife. This is a direct benefit and result of allowing beavers to thrive. Learning to harness beavers’ superpowers is to our advantage on many levels.

 Good point. Taking the win when its offered to you seems to be something people have a hard time doing when it comes from beavers.

This past few weeks we’ve gotten a boost in support from Vermont legislators taking notice and asking questions and hearing testimony from professional organizations across Vermont. It’s time our state beaver program is brought current, to not only reflect special interest organizations, but environmental ones as well. Testimony was given clearly about the financial savings to keeping beavers in the landscapes vs. removing them for personal use. Watching so many environmental organizations and groups sprouting up all over our state gives me hope. Knowing they see the same benefits I do will help us to keep educating about benefits, especially in flooding mitigation, climate control and water quality.

At some point, these qualities and benefits are going to have to take precedence, and beavers will be left alone to serve a much-needed environmental purpose. Only then will their superpowers be able to help save the planet and help humans despite us almost eliminating them. This isn’t just a Vermont issue. Beaver benefits are being realized across our nation and the world. Beavers are not only on local legislators’ minds but government ones as well, and our organization is part of that national working group.

I go round and round about the superpower issue. Having a superpower technically means you can do something no one else can. And beaver powers are absolutely possessed by every  beaver. So not uncommon at all.

The only thing I see as a superpower is the rare ability to understand and appreciate them!

We are getting a second chance to do the right thing, to appreciate beavers and their benefits. Just remember last time we used them as a resource for man’s profit, we almost eliminated them. If beavers are gone, so are their benefits and the hope we have in them helping to save our planet.

Beavers’ environmental superpowers can’t be mstched by any other creature on the planet besides man, and they’re much less expensive. Vermont Beaver Association is 100% dedicated to non-lethal resolutions. If you’ve reached out to us, then you’ve made that choice on your own and we appreciate you choosing that path. We protect identities and locations as well, so you can feel secure when you participate with us. A pathway to non-lethal coexistence is a good thing. We will know where to send you, based on your issues and needed solutions.

That’s a pretty productive and amazing second chance and I think Beavers deserve better considerations and protections.

Bev Soychak

Monkton