Why Give a DAMn? – Water Quality

Clean Water is Precious, Essential for Life – Viewed from space, Earth is a water planet. Yet 97.5% of our planet’s water is undrinkable saline. Only 2.5% of all water is freshwater, and the majority of that is locked up, frozen in glaciers and polar ice. Surface freshwater makes up only 0.03% of all our planet’s water. We need to protect this essential resource. Beavers can help! How cool is that? Please read more.

Why Give A DAMn? – Biodiversity

Back in 1998 when I first learned that beavers are critical for biodiversity I was amazed. I was immediately hooked by the realization that if we learned to coexist with beavers we would be supporting a myriad of other species at the same time. How cool is that?! Rather than just helping one species, there was a multiplier effect. Coexisting with one species, saved many!

So exactly how do beavers create biodiversity? To understand the answer to that important question let’s take a trip back in time.

Why Give a DAMn? – Water Storage

Water is essential to life. Where water is scarce, beavers can help. Beaver dams store water when it is plentiful and slowly release it during dry periods when it is needed most. Beavers perform this important life supporting service naturally and for free.

Why Give a DAMn? – Stream Restoration

Why Give a DAMn? There are many reasons beavers we need beavers. Reason #1: Stream Restoration

In the absence of beaver dams, erosion degrades streams and watersheds resulting in poorer water quality, quantity, and loss of biodiversity. Streams with beaver dams actually recover from the destructive effects of erosion and healthy watersheds can be restored.

Biodiversity, Beavers, and Me

Educating the public about the value of the ecosystem, biodiversity, and watershed services beavers provide is a critical component of improving society’s stewardship of the earth. While this knowledge is critical, individual direct experiences in nature can profoundly impact a person and motivate them to put that knowledge into action. At least that was true in my case….