I received the nicest letter from Dr. Iverson this morning, who was genuinely mortified to have used a photo of an invasive species, (castor impostor) and wanted me to pass his apologies on to beaver supporters et al.I sent him this photo for comparison

He ended with ‘but I’m still jazzed about the idea of beaver as a focal species and tool in watershed restoration.” Gosh, us too! And thanks for the nice reply.

Apparently beaver as a restorative tool is such a infectious idea that its even making its way to Europe. Check out this new campaign in Switzerland.

Beavers touted for restoring Swiss rivers

For over a century the beaver disappeared from Switzerland after being hunted to extinction. But since they were reintroduced in the mid-1950s, beavers have made a comeback. Now, the environmental group Pro Natura has launched a campaign called à l’eau castor or “beaver in the water.” The aim is to use this nocturnal rodent to restore Swiss rivers to their natural state. WRS’s Lucas Chambers joins an educational outing in Bussigny, near Lausanne, and files this report: (click on the link to play a short report in English).

You can check out the website here if you’re lucky enough to read swiss, or here if you need a google assissted translation. I must say that I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur of adorable kit pictures, and I have to say this very nearly takes the cake. Go look for yourself.