BeaverCON: a biennial international conference
Every other year, professionals, researchers, practitioners, and the general public gather at BeaverCON to learn and exchange ideas through a formal program of presentations, workshops and other social and educational events. The conference is an opportunity for a disparate variety of professions to collectively learn, network, and imagineer nature-based solutions utilizing beaver-related restoration. Past attendees have included:
- Stream and Beaver Restoration Professionals
- Land Use Managers
- Road/Infrastructure Specialists
- Ecologists, Biologists, Geomorphologists, Geologists
- Climate Change Experts & Policymakers
- Engineers
- Non-profit leaders
- Artists
BeaverCON was inspired by the west coast SURCP State of the Beaver Conference in Oregon, and will be held on alternating years. Our inaugural conference, BeaverCON 2020, was held from March 3- 5, 2020 near Baltimore, MD. It was a huge success with over 160 attendees from North America and Europe. Our second conference, BeaverCON 2022, was held from June 13-16, 2022 near Baltimore, MD. We had 200 attendees with 48 presenters from the United States, Canada, Wales, the Netherlands, and England. A wrap-up video details the highlights of the conference.
BeaverCON 2024 will occur in the Fall of 2024 in the Mountain West (TBD).
Get to Know BeaverCON
In recent years an increasing body of knowledge has demonstrated the many benefits of beavers, as well as innovative, cost-effective methods to manage them. North America’s most valuable Keystone species, the beaver, can naturally restore healthy streams and watersheds, improve water quality and storage, combat climate change, increase biodiversity and even recover endangered species, including salmon.
The vision for BeaverCON is to bring professionals, practitioners, and others dealing with beaver issues and wetland restoration together on to share the latest research and best management practices for “Nature’s Engineer”, the North American beaver.
Previous BeaverCONs
At the inaugural BeaverCON 2020,”…across more than 30 presentations at BeaverCon, one theme consistently emerged: We humans need a major re-education on the place of beavers in our landscape (with the exception of many Indigenous peoples who have maintained traditional ecological knowledge). Western society needs more beaver believers, which is to say, we need to rethink the path towards healthy watersheds.” Read more coverage of BeaverCON 2022 from Jennifer Sherry’s post (NRDC).
BeaverCON 2022 highlighted 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, reducing storm flood events, and more! To watch presentations from both 2020 and 2022, visit the Beaver Institute YouTube channel.
BeaverCON returning in Fall 2024
Stay tuned!
“BeaverCON brings together the newest ideas in beaver ecology and management, and the people who make things happen.”