Beaver Coexistence
Photo by Jillian Cooper / Getty Images
Beavers are ecological heroes that provide incredible benefits to their environment and everyone with whom it’s shared. These benefits include storing water during droughts, creating wildfire resilient wetlands, flood mitigation, increasing water quality, enhancing biodiversity, and carbon sequestration.
However, beavers are often trapped due to concerns around their impact to human infrastructure, eliminating not only the beavers, but the ecosystem benefits they provide. Fortunately, there are evidence-based methods that allow beavers to remain on the land while preserving and protecting human infrastructure.
Coexistence solutions include installing flow devices in beaver ponds, tree wrapping, diversionary planting, and exclusion fencing. Alternatives to trapping and relocation have been tested and proven in communities across North America, providing real-world examples of what human-beaver coexistence looks like.
Beaver coexistence strategies are detailed in The Fur-Bearers’ Beaver Coexistence Handbook for Municipalities and Landowners, found in the Resources section at the bottom of this page.
How Beavers Help Communities and Ecosystems
- Beavers create habitats that are resilient against wildfires
- Beaver activity helps maintain rare butterfly species and increase plant diversity
- Beaver activity benefits aquatic biodiversity and systems
- Beavers create and maintain vital wetlands during extreme droughts
- The ecoystem services of beavers is valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars annually
Trapping Isn't A Long Term Solution
Traditional beaver management has focused on trapping, killing, or relocating beavers. However, these are neither viable long-term approaches nor viewed favourably by the public. When a beaver is killed or removed from their ecosystem, other beavers may move in and recolonize the area, an outcome that results in the needless deaths of beavers, wastes resources, and ultimately solves nothing.
Effective management approaches address specific, local challenges and implement coexistence management strategies accordingly, so that beavers can remain in their habitat and any damage or risk to human infrastructure is mitigated.
To read an example of how a municipality shifted its beaver management strategy from killing to coexistence, click here to read an overview of how the City of Airdrie, Alberta, responded to beavers living its Nose Creek corridor.
Resources
- Beaver Coexistence Handbook for Municipalities and Landowners (English | Francais)
- The Fur-Bearers’ Beaver Institute Scholarship
- Beaver Management Literature Review
- Ethical Wildlife Management
- Coexistence Resources
Latest Beaver Articles
Against All Odds: A beaver story in Fish Creek Provincial Park
Wildlife photographer Susan Ingham shares the incredible story of a beaver who lost a limb to a trap - and their inspirational effort to keep going.
WANTED: Okanagan land owners with beavers
Beaver Corps trainee looking for a site to build pond leveller or exclusion fencing to protect road culverts in British Columbia.
Planting for Beavers: Trees, shrubs and perennial choices
Beavers prefer certain types of plants for consuming and adding to their dams or lodges. Making the right selection can protect – or provide resources – from beavers.
Celebrating the Beavers 50th Anniversary as Canada’s Symbol
The Fur-Bearers can't wait to share with you games, puzzles, facts, videos, and other content that looks at the impact beavers have had on Canada's landscape in the past,...
Beaver Log Rider Game
Take a break and help our 8-bit beaver avoid obstacles, pick up food, and get the high score in our educational beaver game!
Fascinating Facts About Beavers: Nature’s Engineers
As the second-largest rodent in the world, beavers play a crucial role in shaping ecosystems, creating habitats, and even combating climate change.
Brilliant Beavers Crossword
Take a break and test your knowledge of beavers in this fun crossword puzzle, designed to celebrate the beaver's 50th anniversary as a symbol of Canada.
Freshwater friends: beavers are our eco-heroes
Increased trade tensions putting spotlight water security and protection in Canada.
