{"id":27091,"date":"2023-02-09t18:00:21","date_gmt":"2023-02-09t18:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.planetforward.com\/2023\/02\/09\/beavers-a-seeming-pest-turned-friend\/"},"modified":"2023-02-24t15:16:32","modified_gmt":"2023-02-24t15:16:32","slug":"beavers-turned-friend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/story\/beavers-turned-friend\/","title":{"rendered":"beavers: a seeming pest turned friend"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
elyssa kerr\u2019s initial impression of beavers was not one of appreciation. the focus of her work with the washington conservation corps was salmon habitat recovery, and beavers frequently wreaked havoc on the tree-planting projects. she spent the majority of her days tearing out beaver dams, challenged by how quickly beavers can build. however, her irritation eventually blossomed into appreciation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
she experienced firsthand a beaver\u2019s ingenuity. the beaver built a dam, but in doing so, constructed a new ecosystem: a wetland habitat that thousands of species rely on, making the beaver a keystone species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
in the face of climate change, the beaver\u2019s ecological engineering has the potential to preserve and foster vital ecosystems against its effects. wildfires and droughts are plaguing various regions, waters are warming, and snowpack is shrinking. beavers offer a natural combatant<\/a> against these worrisome trends. the dams they build slow, spread, and store water, creating ponds and wetlands that maintain water supplies, providing resilience to droughts and fires. riparian vegetation is able to access this stored water during dry phases, protecting the areas from droughts.<\/p>\n\n\n