Residents of the Pioneer Valley, along with people across the United States, are starting to recognize that there is more to beavers than tail-slapping and dam-building. Many Americans grew up without the presence of beavers in their communities, and didn’t realize how much the landscape had been degraded by their absence. By allowing beavers to return to their previous territories, we can witness their fascinating ability to restore river systems and lost wetlands. Wildlife returns, the dams store and clean water of nitrogen and phosphorus, threats of flooding and topsoil loss are reduced.
In the American West, beavers are being reintroduced to combat severe drought and wildfires. Their dams slow the streamflow and create ponds. Groundwater is recharged, vegetation remains green, and during wildfires the new wetlands create natural firebreaks and protection for wildlife.
People who support the movement to bring beavers back to the American landscape are sometimes called “Beaver Believers.” They often face opposition from those whose properties are impacted by beaver activity. New coexistence strategies are being developed and refined with increasing success. Southampton is home to the Beaver Institute, a nonprofit organization that promotes coexistence with beavers for the benefit of all.
Beavers were plentiful in North America when the Europeans first arrived. Why did the beavers almost disappear by the early 20th century? In “Beaverland: How One Weird Rodent Made America,” writer and researcher Leila Philip tells the story of how the lucrative trade in beaver pelts drove the colonization and economic growth of North America. The animals were only valued for their pelts and were otherwise viewed as disrupters of private property. Their crucial role in the cycle of water that keeps the natural world healthy was not widely recognized until recently and is still only partially understood.
Today we often feel despair at the state of our environment and the prospects for the future. Beavers, a keystone species, are one of the brightest solutions that we have. On Wednesday, March 25, at 7 p.m. at the Munson Memorial Library in South Amherst, Leila Philip will be speaking about how this remarkable creature has played an oversized role in American history and could play a critical role in its future. Learn more at www.joneslibrary.org/onthesamepage.
Linda Wentworth
Amherst