Embedded Files
This site is under construction 🚧🙂🚧 Message the mods at our Reddit community if you'd like to help. We'd be excited to have it!
Introduction
Introduction
Beavers are mostly nocturnal but also crepuscular meaning that they work at twilight too.
9:46 minute video about beavers protecting and improving the environments they live in. How beavers help waterways to improve drought resilience. They rebuild wetland, riparian borders, farm land, helping to boost biodiversity while protecting human communities.
Beavers as Environmental Engineers
Beavers as Environmental Engineers
Beavers not only prevent flooding, and restore river ecosystems, but they create new spawning ground for fish species such as salmon.
Around 80% of North American species rely on the types of habitat that beavers create.
Conceptual Model Illustrating How Beaver Dams Affect the Development of Incised Streams
Beaver Dam Diagrams This link also offers diagrams of beaver baffles and other beaver-related info.
Biodiversity Boosters
Biodiversity Boosters
Beaver ponds are known to dramatically increase biodiversity and population numbers for a wide variety of species. These include:
"In a study carried out at the University of Helsinki, beaver patches were found to host nearly twice the number of mammal species compared to forest pond patches not engineered by beavers. Even the number of individual mammals was more than 10% higher in beaver sites." - University of Helsinki: Moose Otters and Many Small Predators Benefit Beaver Activity
Beavers Without Borders This 16:19 minute documentary explores beavers after reintroductions to England, Bavaria, and Scotland.
70% of the world's salmon spawn in Norway, and of their top 10 salmon rivers, 7 have beavers, and 6 are at capacity for beavers. This indicates that beavers improve fish stock numbers, and their presence will continue to help reverse the mass extinction of fish currently happening due to human activities.
Beavers vs Fire
Beavers vs Fire
When very similar streams were compared with and without beavers. The landscapes without beavers have been found to burn 3 times more intensely than the same kinds of areas with beavers and their dams.
After fire raged through one California landscape, one waterway, tucked between hills, remained basically untouched by the flames that charred the surrounding hills.
Now beavers are removed from areas where they have been considered a nuisance and are being returned to landscapes where they can replenish waterways and groundwater.
Beavers vs Drought
Beavers vs Drought
Landscapes with beavers tend to be much greener as they create underground water storage. When droughts hit, landscapes with sever droughts can stay green and healthy for at least 3 years compared to waterways without these amazing creatures.
Indicator Species
Indicator Species
Beaver presence and numbers can help indicate the health of the biomes where they are found. Their power as fire deterrents can also indicate safer places to build or replant trees.
Threats to Beaver
Threats to Beaver
Hunting & Poaching
Hunting & Poaching
Beavers were almost hunted to extinction for fur hats and other consumer product. In some places it is illegal to relocate beavers, but killing is still legal.
Persecution
Persecution
Beavers are still persecuted by farmers and land owners for flooding and tree damage.
Loss of Habitat
Loss of Habitat
Most land use is for livestock, some is for crop farming, followed by mining, fossil fuel extraction, roads, and urban buildup.
Calls to Action
Calls to Action
Levels 1-3 Action
Levels 1-3 Action
Solving Problems with Beavers Topics include non-lethal beaver management, protecting trees, use of baffles and so on.
Building beaver analog dams can help make newly-arrived beavers feel comfortable, and even give them a head start as they sometime use these structures as foundations for their own building projects.
There should be an organization or system to help connect people who need beaver removal with communities who desperately need beaver services. The receiving community should receive education and resources to assure successful translocation including protecting certain trees to help mitigate damage to wanted trees. There are some programs that help rehome beavers, and they have been listed further down the page under "Beaver Relocation Programs"
Level 3-4 Action
Level 3-4 Action
If your area has laws against rehoming beavers, but allows their slaughter, work with your local conservation or beaver organization and work with them to help create better laws.
Contact Your Representative to let them know why current laws are a problem, and what would be a better alternative.
How to Help Beavers
How to Help Beavers
Beaver Dam Analogs (BDA) & Post-Assisted Log Structures (PALS)
Beaver Dam Analogs (BDA) & Post-Assisted Log Structures (PALS)
Human-built Beaver Dam Analogs can be installed to help jump-start a new habitat. These structures provide the same function of slowing down waterways, creating habitats for fish to spawn in, and creating lush wet landscapes where droughts have been cutting back on biodiversity. Some of them even attract beavers who sometimes take over the maintenance and improvement process.
Education & Training Opportunities
Education & Training Opportunities
Beaver Institute: Training Beaver Wetland Professionals "The Beaver Institute is proud to offer the first and only professional, non-lethal beaver management course. The online classes and field work are personally mentored by Beaver Institute President, Mike Callahan and other Beaver Institute instructors. All students learn the same successful, innovative beaver management techniques that he has successfully used since 1998 to resolve over 2,000 beaver-human conflicts, as well as Process-Based Restoration techniques to restore streams and beaver wetlands. Graduates are certified as Beaver Wetland Professionals and utilize their knowledge in a variety of settings."
Legally Required Surveys & Land Preparation for Beavers
Legally Required Surveys & Land Preparation for Beavers
10:17 minute video.
This video shows some of the steps Mossy Earth had to go through to pick out degraded land, and then ensure their damming and reforestation project wouldn't negatively impact vulnerable Scottish species such as otters and fresh water clams.
Your own region may have different prerequisites.
Beaver Relocation Programs
Beaver Relocation Programs
While beaver relocation sounds like a win win, there are a number of serious reasons to avoid beaver relocation as much as possible, including the high likelihood of accidental killing, destruction of beaver families (which is particularly tragic due to the importance of their family relations and social nature), and disease spread.
North America
North America
USA
USA
Idaho
Earthfire Institute: Beaver Relocation Project "Until now, Fish and Game had no place to hold the trapped beavers while they found a place to relocate them where they would not only do no harm, but actually restore the landscape. Because they are so family-oriented, beavers don’t do well unless the whole family is relocated. And trapping a whole family takes time.
Idaho Fish and Game has asked Earthfire if we would provide a temporary holding pond for trapped beavers. We jumped at the chance to help. We have the land, the water, and the willingness. By building and operating the beaver pond, Earthfire becomes an integral part of the Upper Snake River Beaver Coop and their mission: “.. to recognize that beavers are great eco-engineers and a great asset when dealing with climate change and declining stream flows.” Earthfire will be cooperating with representatives from the Forest Service, BLM, The Nature Conservancy, and Idaho Fish & Game. The four goals of the Coop are:
Better understand beaver populations in the watershed
Determine the status of their habitat
Selectively relocate beaver to select sites to improve downstream storage. They can help us store water in the upper watershed for slow release during the summer rather than all at once
Provide information and support landowners
We didn’t know where we would find the funds, but you just don’t pass up an opportunity to build a working partnership with the primary wildlife management organization in the state. This is a major direction we want to go toward. And although we knew it would be costly, we just had to say yes."
Oregon
Upper Snake River Beaver Coop "works at the intersection of land, people, and practice — learning from the land and each other to support beavers and resilient working landscapes across the Oregon high desert.
We work with landowners, agencies, and local partners to support beaver persistence across eastern Oregon watersheds. Our approach is cooperative by practice, grounded in field observation, local knowledge, long-term thinking and shared learnings.
This work is shaped locally, not delivered from a central office."
Utah
Utah State University.edu/beaver-restoration/Trapping Relocating "was founded to enhance and support the practice of relocating beaver to improve degraded riverscapes. We provide live trapping, transport, and care of problem beaver and release to locations that can benefit by their restoration capabilities. The center includes a holding facility, called the Beaver Bunkhouse, and a transport trailer designed to ensure a safe and secure relocation process. Additionally, we conduct research to better understand beaver behavior and habitat requirements to improve the success that beaver will stay and survive in their new environment."
Washington
Beaver Relocation in Washington This page has info about how to get a beaver removed from your property, have a beaver moved to your property including property evaluation information to make sure the place is suitable, necessary permits, and even how to become a beaver relocator.
Methow Okanogan Beaver Project "provides live-trapping and relocation services in situations of irreconcilable conflict with beavers. We relocate these beavers from private lands to our restoration sites where they become important partners in watershed restoration, helping us slow and spread water, restore complex stream dynamics, reconnect streams to their floodplains, and increase wildfire and drought resilience."
Tools & Resources
Tools & Resources
Eco-System Restoration & Assessment Tools
Eco-System Restoration & Assessment Tools
BRAT(Beaver Restoration Assessment Tool) "is useful for condition assessment as it pertains to developing expectations for beaver dam building. Specifically, BRAT provides one way for network-scale assessment of the question of Can (or could via restoration) the riverscape support beaver dam activity?"
RCAT(Riparian Condition Assessment Tool) "is helpful for assessing riparian conditions, the causes of departure from historic conditions and looking at recovery potential within the valley bottom. Specifically, RCAT provides one way for network-scale assessment of the question Are the woody resources present or could they be (via restoration) to support and sustain process of wood accumulation?"
Humane Methods to Resolve Human/Beaver Conflict
Humane Methods to Resolve Human/Beaver Conflict
Solving Problems with Beavers Topics include non-lethal beaver management, protecting trees, use of baffles and so on.
Living With Beavers Talks about benefits of beavers and beaver facts, then discusses conflict solutions.
Reintroduction Feasibility Studies
Reintroduction Feasibility Studies
The feasibility and acceptability of reintroducing the European beaver to England (NECR002) "This report was commissioned jointly by Natural England and the People’s Trust for Endangered Species to help develop views on the feasibility and desirability of beaver reintroductions in England, and to provide information on what contribution beavers might make to national habitat restoration targets. The findings in the report should also help Natural England prepare itself for making a decision if it receives an application to release beavers into the wild in England.
The views in the report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of Natural England. At the time of publication, Natural England’s Board has not considered its position on beaver reintroductions."
Safety & Construction Resources
Safety & Construction Resources
Anabranch Solutions Videos for Volunteers "Building BDAs and PALS are part of a Low-Tech Process-Based Restoration (LTPBR) technique that doesn't require extensive training or heavy equipment and therefore can be done by a diverse workforce. However, there are inherent risks in working outdoors in uneven terrain, with sharp tools, large woody materials, and a variety of equipment. These videos go over some of the safety issues to be aware of while participating in Low-Tech Process-Based Restoration. After you have watched the videos, please take the short safety quiz below and then sign the volunteer waiver to become an Anabranch Solutions LTPBR volunteer."
Idaho Beaver Restoration Assessment Tool: Building Realistic Expectations for Partnering with Beaver in Conservation and Restoration (PDF) Includes maps and data for planning in Idaho.
Adoption Programs
Adoption Programs
North America
North America
Canada
Canada
Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation (AIWC) "This North American beaver was rescued after his dam was washed away due to high water levels on the Red Deer River. There was no sign of parents or other siblings, so he was brought to AIWC for care. Although he is growling daily and is bright and alert, we have a long road ahead of us, and he will likely remain in care at AIWC for quite some time. In the wild, young beavers do not disperse from their parents for 2-3 years so this little one will be in our care until spring 2024. Until then, he will be provided with a natural environment and all the care he needs to grow into a healthy and strong beaver before returning to the wild. Thank you for helping to support his care!"
Organizations
Organizations
Maps
Maps
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse