Did you know International Beaver Day takes place on April 7th every year? This day was chosen to celebrate Beavers because it is the birthday of the late Dorothy Richards of Little Falls, who studied beavers for 50 years.
Many reading this are likely already aware of the great benefit beaver activity poses in restoration work aimed at recovering salmon species. When beaver build their dams, the water that is impounded in turn creates habitat for a myriad of valuable native species.
Beavers remind us in this isolating time that we are all connected, whether it be in ecological terms, or through the work being done across the state of Oregon, the Pacific Northwest, and the country to bring back this ecosystem engineer to our shared landscapes
In this vein, we hope you enjoy the compilation of beaver-related videos below, learn something new, and share with those you are connected to.
Live presentation from the author of Eager, Ben Goldfarb:
This presentation, hosted by Oregon Wild, explores how the modern idea of what a healthy landscape looks like and how it functions is wrong, distorted by the fur trade that once trapped out millions of beavers from North America's waterways. The consequences of losing beavers were profound: ponds drained, wetlands dried up, and species from salmon to swans lost vital habitat.
Goldfarb also discusses the growing coalition of “Beaver Believers”—including scientists, ranchers, and passionate citizens— who recognize that ecosystems with beavers are far healthier, for humans and non-humans alike, than those without them.
From the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commissions:
In this 4-part video series, landowners, fisheries biologists and hydrologists that have discovered the benefits of beavers explain the ways that people and beavers can co-exist and restore salmon habitat, improve water quality, and store and deliver water when it is most needed (Note: these videos are also linked on our Living with Beaver page, where you can find even more information about these important creatures!)
From the Grand Canyon Trust:
In this 13-minute video, “Beaver: Back to the Future,” four Forest Service employees and a retired Regional Forester eloquently and enthusiastically praise the power of beaver to beneficially restore and manage national forest water flows in the face of climate change.
The video begins with historical footage chronicling early decimation of beaver on our continent, filmmaker Sarah Koenigsberg’s camera captures three processes by which beaver have recently been able to re-enter creek systems in Utah, Oregon, and Washington to work their dam magic.