(How BDA building can kickstart beaver activity leading to self sustaining wetland | Graphic courtesy of Goldfarb/Think Wild)
After wildfires and unsafe conditions forced the cancellation and rescheduling of multiple summer restoration projects, Think Wild’s Beaver Works Oregon program is calling on volunteers to help make up for lost time.
Through October, volunteers will have opportunities to survey streams for beaver activity, plant native willows and cottonwoods, build Beaver Dam Analogs (BDAs), and contribute to long-term beaver research and monitoring across Central and Eastern Oregon.
“This is the most destructive and largest wildfire season on record for Oregon, which has underscored exactly why this work matters,” said Dr. Maureen Thompson, director of conservation at Think Wild. “Beavers are powerful agents of landscape change. By slowing and storing water, reconnecting streams with their floodplains, and creating wetland habitat, beavers can help Oregon stay wetter and more resilient during drought and wildfire, and quite literally provide safe haven for other animals as the fire passes through their home.”
The role of beavers in building climate-resilient landscapes is increasingly recognized across the West. In Oregon, state law recognizes beavers as a keystone species and “nature’s engineer,” noting their role in increasing the quantity and quality of water on the landscape, decreasing wildfire risk, providing refuge for wildlife, and fostering recovery on landscapes impacted by climate change.
Beaver Works Oregon projects are designed to support these natural processes. Volunteers help build BDAs to slow water and restore stream function in areas where beavers are absent; plant native riparian vegetation to provide food and habitat; support coexistence efforts where beavers and people share landscapes; and survey waterways to better understand where beavers currently live and where restoration could support their return.
After losing valuable field time to wildfire closures and smoke this summer, Think Wild has a serious need for volunteers for the next two months.
“If you’ve been considering volunteering with Beaver Works Oregon, now is the time to get started,” said Emily Sullivan, volunteer coordinator at Think Wild. “We have opportunities for a wide range of interests and abilities. Some projects are physically demanding and take us deep into the field, while others are accessible to beginners and families. You can bring friends, learn something new, spend time outside, and directly contribute to healthier wildlife habitat and a more fire-resilient region.”
Upcoming volunteer opportunities include:
- September 19-20:Beaver Research & Monitoring
- September 21-27:Crooked River Park Native Plant Stewardship Project planting week
- October 3:Family-Friendly Beaver Survey Day
- October 4-6:Beaver Research & Monitoring
- October 9-11:Beaver Research & Monitoring
- October 12-16:Beaver Dam Analog Building at Camp Creek in the Malheur National Forest
- October 18-20:Beaver Research & Monitoring
- October 21-24:Willow & Cottonwood Planting along Eightmile Creek
- October 28-30:Beaver Research & Monitoring
Beaver sign surveys are a particularly important part of the program’s long-term work. Volunteers learn to identify evidence including chewed vegetation, tracks, scat, dams, lodges, bank dens, and other signs of beaver activity. Those observations provide data that help Beaver Works and land managers understand where beavers live, where they have historically occurred, and where restoration efforts may be most effective.
Cumulatively, these projects support a larger goal: restoring healthy waterways where beavers and other wildlife can thrive while helping Oregon landscapes become more resilient to drought, wildfire, and a changing climate.
No previous restoration or wildlife monitoring experience is required for many Beaver Works volunteer opportunities and training, tools, and guidance are provided.
Learn more at beaverworksoregon.org/beaver-volunteer-projects-oregon.
