We Can Live With Beavers
A beaver spotted on the North Branch of the Chicago River by a kayaker.
To support beaver protection, foster coexistence, and encourage habitat restoration, Friends of the Chicago River is one of the co-hosts of the second annual Midwest Beaver Summit 2024 on Wednesday, August 28, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. CST. Presented by the Illinois Beaver Alliance, LC Nature Park, and the Superior Bio-Conservancy, the summit is free and held virtually.
Scientists from across the continent are documenting the massive ecological contributions by beavers. The essential role of beavers in forestalling the climate crisis, slowing flooding, and restoring wetlands are just some of their amazing, and un-thanked, attributes. As the Chicago Tribune noted in a story about the first summit, “Beavers can transform parched fields into verdant wetlands and widen rivers and streams in ways that not only slow surging floodwater, but store it for times of drought.”
The summit brings together a network of Midwestern experts who help spread the word about the incredible ecological importance of beavers and the modern tools for managing human-beaver conflicts nonlethally. Speakers include beaver experts such as:
- Emily Fairfax, an assistant professor of physical geography, University of Minnesota, will discuss beaver wetlands, flooding, and drought.
- Brian “Fox” Ellis, storyteller and director of outreach at the Illinois Audubon Society, will present on “Who speaks for beavers? Indigenous ecological knowledge and folklore.”
- Courtney Dean, a PSM conservation biology graduate student at the University of Wisconsin will discuss beaver dam impacts on water quality, biodiversity, and trout populations in Wisconsin streams.
- Bill Nelson an attorney in the Environmental and Energy Strategies Practice Group at Godfrey and Kahn, will present on “Revised environmental assessment of Wisconsin’s Beaver Management Plan.”
- Alexa Whipple, beaver project director at the Methow-Okanogan Project, will discuss navigating conflicts between people and beavers.
The mission of the Illinois Beaver Alliance is to improve the health and function of Illinois watersheds, which will increase climate resilience, improve water quality, increase biodiversity, and create floodwater storage capacity; and to educate the public about the ecological importance of beavers and the modern tools for resolving human-beaver conflicts.
