Beavers are builders of wetlands. As our climate heats and becomes less predictable, wetlands become even more important. Beaver ponds and wetlands hold cooling water during droughts and slow speeding water during floods.

Beavers are built for the water and they can’t live without it. That is why they are so dedicated to building dams to keep it in place. As beavers move upstream and down creating new ponds, the areas they leave behind become meadows and shrub lands. These are all important habitats for many plants and animals, from moose to mink. This makes beavers a “keystone” species—one that is essential for other species to thrive.

Guess which other species changes the landscape to suit its needs? We do! When beavers’ plans conflict with ours, they can cause us a lot of trouble. They clog culverts, cut down favorite trees, and flood fields and cropland.

Because beavers are so important, BEEC advocates for solutions to these conflicts that work for people and beavers. Along the way, we bringing you opportunities to learn more about the beavers in our midst. BEEC is working with Beaver Working Groups in three towns, Halifax, Westminster, and Marlboro.

In October, BEEC held a first weekend Beaver Camp. This was so much fun we plan to do it again. Email if you’d like to attend.

Did you know?

How Big were Ice Age Beavers?

In Ice Age Halifax, giant beavers lived among the woolly mammoths and short-faced bears, oh yes, so did modern beavers. They were aquatic, but they did not cut down trees or make dams and lodges. They weighed as much as 275 pounds and were about the size of a black bear.