Climate Change & Beavers - What's the Connection?
Beaver dams retain water and build climate resilience
When the topic of climate change arises, beaver restoration is seldom considered a key tool to address this issue. That needs to change. Beavers build dams and wetlands that boost climate resilience naturally and cost-effectively. Beaver-created wetlands help many endangered species, increase general biodiversity, store and purify water, reduce wildfire damage, speed reforestation after fires, reduce storm flood events, recharge our ground water aquifers, sequester carbon, and more. All these things build climate resilience, and beavers do them for free!
Lush Beaver-Created Wetland
Biologists consider beavers a “Keystone species” meaning their existence is necessary for ecosystems to effectively exist and operate. As Ben Goldfarb wrote in his book Eager, “A beaver pond is more than a body of water supporting the needs of a group of beavers, but the epicenter of a whole dynamic ecosystem.”
Centuries ago beavers were trapped to near extinction for their valuable fur. They have made a remarkable comeback but at numbers far less than the landscape needs. Even now, tens of thousands are beavers are killed annually when their dams flood our properties, even though effective nonlethal alternatives exist.
Currently, grassroots groups across the country are building climate resilience by restoring beavers, and innovatively resolving human-beaver conflicts. These efforts need to be scaled significantly in the face of climate crisis. Climate change induced hurricanes, wildfires, droughts and more, are already causing the loss of life and extensive financial burdens worldwide. While some progress is being made in reducing our worldwide carbon emissions, as this short TED Talk shows, much more needs to be done.
Inquisitive by D. Slipp
The Beaver Institute, is striving to build a coalition of like-minded organizations and industry professionals to raise awareness and scale effective beaver wetland programs nationally in order to build more climate resilience.
Until we win the carbon emissions battle and reverse climate change, we need to preserve our remaining biodiversity and limit other climate change damage as much as possible. Beaver wetlands and Process Based-Restoration can help.
Beavers Build Climate Resilience. Time is short. Let’s Roll!
Beavers Build Climate Resilience
MEDIA: Wildfires are getting WORSE – Fighting the Dixie Fire, The New York Times
The Beaver Institute is spearheading an effort to raise the awareness of policymakers and others how beaver wetland restoration can make significant contributions fighting climate change. One recent outreach effort included the letter linked below. Here is some feedback we received:
“I agree that beavers play a critical role in creating healthy wetland ecosystems… I appreciate you and your organization’s ongoing commitment to habitat restoration to combat climate change.” Nada Wolff Culver, Deputy Director, Policy and Programs, U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
“I want you to know that my colleagues and I are working day in and day out to protect the safety of the American people, to rise to the climate challenge,…” Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Secretary of Transportation
Climate Change Beaver Coalition Letter - May 2021
Please contact us to add your name and organization to our growing coalition. The larger our advocacy group the more likely beaver wetland restoration efforts will be included in new government policies. Please join us today. Together we will make a difference!
Contact us Today to Join the Coalition!
View our Expanding List of Partners!
Partner Organizations & Professionals
Anabranch Solutions, Utah State University (UT) Dr. Joseph Wheaton, Principal, Co-Owner, Eco-Morphologist
Beaver and Wildlife Solutions (CT) Diane Honer
The Beaver Coalition (OR) Jakob Shockey, Executive Director; Rob Walton, Policy Director
Beaver Deceivers, LLC (VT) Skip Lisle
Beaver Solutions, LLC (MA) John Egan
Beaver Trust (Great Britain) James Wallace, Chief Executive
Beaver Works (OR) Reese Mercer, Program Director
Best Way Wildlife Control (NH) Chuck Crowe
Biodiversity First! (CA) Cooper Lienhart
Bonneville Environmental Foundation (OR) Jean-Paul Zagarola, Sr. Project Engineer
Cows and Fish – Alberta Riparian Habitat Management Society (Alberta) Norine Ambrose, Executive Director; Amy McLeod, Provincial Riparian Specialist
Eco-Kare (Ontario) Kari Gunson, Principal Ecologist
EcoMetrics, LLC (CO) Mark Beardsley
Ecotone, Inc. (MD) Scott McGill, Owner; Garrett Krug; Arturo Garcia
Emily Fairfax, Ph.D. (CA) California State University Channel Islands, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science and Resource Management
Friends of the Pokeberry Creek Beavers and Wetlands (NC) Luna Mountainsea
The Fur-Bearers (British Columbia) Lesley Fox, Executive Director
Grand Canyon Trust (UT) Mike Popejoy, Utah Public Lands Director
Hudson Valley Beaver Strategies, LLC (NY) Dan Aitchison
Humane Solutions (British Columbia) Joe Abercrombie, President
J. Boone Kauffman, Ph.D., (OR) Professor, Senior Research, Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University
Jeff Baldwin, Ph.D. Geography Geography, Environment, and Planning, Sonoma State University (CA)
Leave It To Beavers Contracting, LLC (IA) Christian Sorflaten
Marek Landscaping, LLC (WI) Michael Marek
Methow Beaver Project (WA) Kent Woodruff, Founder; Alexa Whipple, Project Director
Midwest Beaver Mitigation (IL) Jeff Boland-Prom
Miistakis Institute (Alberta) Danah Duke, Executive Director; Holly Kinas, Conservation Analyst
Milwaukee Riverkeeper (WI) Bob Boucher, Founder
National Wildlife Federation (MT) Sarah Bates, Acting Regional Director and Director Western Water
Natural Resource Economics (OR) Ernie Niemi, President
Occidental Arts and Ecology Center (CA) Kate Lundquist, Director, Water Institute; Brock Dolman, Co-Founder
Project Eleven Hundred (UT) Mary O’Brien, Director
Rapidan Institute, Center for Natural Capital (VA) Jeff Waldon, Director
Robert L. Beschta, Ph.D. (OR) Professor Emeritus, Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University
Scott River Watershed Council (CA) Betsy Stapleton, Board Chair
Sierra Wildlife Coalition (CA) Sherry Guzzi, Co-Founder
SLO Beaver Brigade (CA) Audrey Taub, Founder
South Umpqua Rural Community Partnership (OR) Stanley Petrowski, Director; Leonard and Lois Houston
Suzanne Fouty, Ph.D. (OR) Hydrologist/Soils Specialist (retired USFS)
Swift Water Design (CA) Kevin Swift, Owner
Trap Free Montana (MT) KC York
Vanisle Wetlands (British Columbia) Christopher Holtslag
Wyoming Untrapped (WY) Lisa Robertson
Youth Environmental Action Summit (MD) Elise Trelegan
Beaver Benefits in the Media
Beavers Are Nature's Firefighters. Why Is California Killing Them?
Creating Miracles in the Desert: Restoring Dixie Creek
Climate and Beaver Summits
Beavers: A Dam Good Climate Solution? June 2021
California Beaver Summit, April 2021 (website features Day 1 & Day 2 video links)
Natures Firefighters: The Role of Beavers in Wildfire Mitigation and Recovery, April 2021
