Beavers 'do it better': King County's modern approach to habitat restoration

In this video, discover how our ecologists and engineers are modernizing their approach to habitat restoration to capitalize on the remarkable recovery of King County’s beaver population. Recognizing beavers’ unique ability to add ecological complexity and improve water quality for people, salmon and wildlife, our staff experts created a manual that shows how to reduce the impacts on nearby landowners and promote beaver activity that creates healthier landscapes that more resilient to climate impacts.
#wildlife #beaver

[@TurboLoveTrain]

Humans: Were trying to restore this river Beavers: You're doing it wrong, I got this

[@jamesharmon3827]

I work for king county, there is an area we tried to jump start a wetlands remediation. Then the beaver moved in. He did all the work.

[@tadblackington1676]

And the beavers say "Thanks for all the delicious willow stakes. It was so kind of you to plant them for us."

[@lpeterman]

They can cause a ruckus; but better than the alternative -- no beavers at all.

[@lioral7592]

I love how much joy Jen and Brandon and Rebecca all portray in this video. Beaver as wonders rather than pests.

[@TurboLoveTrain]

I see them as unruly allies: they don't do what you want them to do they do what you need them to do.

[@lpeterman]

@@TurboLoveTrain And I see them as wonderful, powerful allies. Even if they cause some ruckus; better them than logging trucks flying past after clear-cutting a mountainside.

[@tss9886]

Beavers and salmon evolved together for a million years. Beavers have been engineering for 10 million years. They know what they are doing.

[@lpeterman]

Indeed: Beaver taught Salmon to jump.

[@sheerluckholmes7720]

@@lpeterman 🤣

[@hopeofdawn]

So glad to see this video address the challenges as well as the benefits - beavers definitely are a winning solution, but they're not necessarily always easy.

[@lpeterman]

But sooo much better than ignoring the former state of the wetlands.

[@error-xn7hn]

Yeah. Beavers are tricky to deal with, but I have faith in us. I always teach my kids to avoid conflicts by being smarter. If a toddler wants your toy, distract him with something else. If there is a biting ant, then you need to be smarter than the ant. People have real problems in life, like cancer and broken homes. Having a battle of wits against a beaver can seem like a problem but really it's a joy.

[@DougGrinbergs]

Thank you, King County taxpayers, for this valuable educational content!👍 Best regards from Boulder

[@satyr1349]

Loved the video and the demonstration on how you're adapting to the Beavers - I'm hoping the recent trial introductions into the UK go just as well - they've been extinct here since the 16th century which really messed up the waterways & nature.

[@avatarstaterm7350]

I had no idea this was going on in my own backyard! This is awesome!

[@jamesdriscoll_tmp1515]

I lose track of my beavers from time to time, but I sleep well, knowing they are being busy

[@fionamason4725]

Very cool content, love seeing rewiliding making progress. 🌳☀️

[@iwanabana]

Thank you for this beautiful presentation!!

[@NHWildlife]

It will be interesting to see which of the three methods of planting willow works best in that situation.

[@TurboLoveTrain]

Willow are incredibly resilient--as are alder.

[@robertmayfield8746]

I was thinking about it for few years. Why do people destroy Beaver's dams? Why they're angry at them? Since they do lot of good to the nature, the ecosystem, including human's. Yes, water filters, water reservoirs, and make habitat for other animals to live in. I'm happy to see that something's changed in our approach to their hard work.

[@hopeofdawn]

Unfortunately beavers like to flood areas to make safer/better habitat for themselves. And they don't care if their dam is flooding your fields, or your backyard. That's why a lot of people still destroy beaver dams. But that's not the solution - active management is. Take out the beaver dams that are causing problems, but leave the all the rest.

[@robertmayfield8746]

@@hopeofdawn 'Beavers don't care' - Beavers do, it's humans that destroy forests and entire ecosystems.

[@robertmayfield8746]

@@hopeofdawn 'Beavers don't care' - they do, humans don't. And it's humans who destroy ecosystems. Beavers create them.

[@Steve-cl7hr]

Have you ever had to maintain a culvert crossing on a road with beavers present? They say “cool, a pre-built dam! I just have to plug this one hole and the water will flow over the dam like it should.” Beavers always win!

[@robertmayfield8746]

@@Steve-cl7hr Oh god, now people are kicking my butt for protecting beavers. Yes, I know what culvert crossing is. And are you sure you want to be one who blames beavers for all the evil on the world?

[@felipericketts]

Bring in the beavers and let them do their magic. It's no-brainer. 🙂

[@TurboLoveTrain]

They need to be brought back to the Olympic national park--the logging cartels are very anti beaver :(

[@lpeterman]

@@TurboLoveTrain Because they dent the profit margins. Fewer greedy corporations, more Beaver.

[@billg.7909]

More beavers!

[@reedbender1179]

Joe Beaver for President,Make Beavers Great Again MBGA !😂

[@DougGrinbergs]

1:25 industrious workers😉 5:38 and great ecosystem services engineers 👍😉

[@lpeterman]

FYI; for all the Beaver Believers out there: Try, "Eager: The surprising and secret life of beavers..." by Ben Goldfarb. Great read -- good information.

[@BearCreekWild]

Hi Jen - I’ve seen you on my cameras - great job on Bear Creek!

[@lpeterman]

More Beaver! Let slip the Beaver and rewilding closely follows; just keep the trap-and-trigger-happy fools away from the dam builders. Remember, Beaver taught Salmon to jump.

[@jamesdriscoll_tmp1515]

Like Shakespear said, almost: "Cry havoc, and release the beavers of remediation"

[@lpeterman]

@@jamesdriscoll_tmp1515 You caught my reference. Well played.

[@chongseitmooi2593]

Incredible animals

[@340wbymag]

I love this sooooo much!

[@sheerluckholmes7720]

All the Humans here are so happy, 🥰and all the 🦫 so industrious.🏋...😇

[@jamesdriscoll_tmp1515]

Beavers also provide fire brakes.

[@lpeterman]

Five hundred Thumbs-up! Indeed they do. Well said.

[@glenlongstreet7]

A lot of people use dynamite to blow up beaver dams. I wonder how they would feel if the beavers started blowing up our irrigation dams? Leave them alone, let them do their job. Obviously this comment is not directed at the work you are doing.

[@lpeterman]

Well said -- Leave 'em alone. They, (Beaver) know what they're doing

[@conniewinter3289]

We used to have a seasonal wetland at the SE corner of Big Finn Hill Regional County Park. Beavers arrived about 12 years ago, damming the creek that flowed out of the wetland, and cutting down trees. The consequences of the beavers' actions are that all the trees have now died in what used to be a seasonal wetland since they are now underwater year round, beavers are cutting down mature trees, trails have closed due to being underwater 10-11 months of the year, and bridges have needed to be rebuilt and added for crossing the streams. I fail to see any positive out of what has occurred over the past dozen plus years. When walking or driving past this new wasteland, it is depressing to think about the vibrant forest it used to be.

[@ChristopherLecky]

Once you have restored what is an ancient example of a long since destroyed habitat then you can restore the ecosystems that vanished as a result of the drastic change that occurred to remove them... As what remains now is the most resilient of species that were able to adapt to much faster more polluted waters.....!

[@jenn976]

No mention of beavers as a keystone species? Wow but so good to see this kind of work in my backyard. Nice to see this after watching tons of videos from entities such as Mossy.earth, etc. Over and over again, it has been proven by the beaver itself (if we’ll let it) what a good environmental engineer he/she is. I’m interested in seeing updates on this project(s). I’m wondering, along with the sticks, are you planting any kind of native groundcover or marshy plants too.

[@KingCounty_DNRP]

1. At the Chinook Bend site, we have four types of plantings. One standard and three that are experimental. We just planted them this past winter, so we will be tracking progress over time. Very early on, we are interested in whether beavers avoid “short” stakes, or if they cut them as the same frequency as the normal, “tall” stakes. We also collect survival data on a portion of the plants. Over time, our data collection will shift to focus on canopy development and cover. Each season for the first few season brings new observations, and we know from past non-beaver-related studies that what you see in Year 1 can be very different from Year 5. My hope is to go at least 5 years and learn along the way. We’ll continue to learn after 10 years and 15 years, but our study will likely conclude after 5 years. But it does not take 5 years to get new ideas for new approaches to planting to test at other sites. All of these experimental designs are so new that the ideas just keep coming. The things we learn along the way are intended to be implemented at other restoration sites.

[@Eurydice870]

Reminds me of helicopter parents. Beavers will move on. Then plant trees. You want vegetation, get blackberrieshat - provides food and habitat. Snakes love old blackberry canes. Birds feel protected. Got frogs yet? If you leave nature alone, it will build you an ecosystem.

[@lpeterman]

With only a piece of advice/warning: only NATIVE blackberries! (Or NATIVE anything!!) NOT INVASIVE Himalayan or Cut-Leaf blackberries. If you plant invasives, you'll UNDO all the good that was gained.

[@glenlongstreet7]

Are beavers considered Keystone species?

[@TurboLoveTrain]

yes

[@jamesdriscoll_tmp1515]

They used to be missidentified as hats.

[@lpeterman]

In all native habitats. Until greedy, stupid humans almost wiped them out. (Some greedy, stupid humans still try.)

[@tolson57]

And they do it for free!

[@jameswalker673]

This is so amazing! Are there any resources or information on how someone would become involved with these kinds of projects?

[@KingCounty_DNRP]

One way to get involved is to volunteer with local restoration and planting events. King County Parks has a volunteer calendar.

[@sheerluckholmes7720]

Time for a remake of the 60's kids show "Leave it to Beaver" ! 🤣

[@danielhammond3012]

Amateurs! Hold my beer!

[@C.Hawkshaw]

OMG working WITH nature?

[@Soundofwindonsand]

I personally knew a guy who worked on the Bonniville dam project on the Columbia River, when they finished the dam, come fall, rhey literally looked downstream..and they all Shouted Look At All Those Stupid Salmon Just Swimming Around Down There !!!!!! Get The Nets Screw That ..Get the Fish Wheel!!!! The Govonor for years had salmon listed as a "food fish" with no limit Don't try to tell us who's falt it is that the salmon are all small now , & the Squawfish problem& Let's not Forget about the Plutonium floating downstream now

[@scotthughes7440]

Of course nature's methods are superior...DUH

[@aaroneberle2488]

Says the citydweller

[@lpeterman]

@@aaroneberle2488 Really? Did you have to?

[@Steve-cl7hr]

My tax dollars at work 😂

[@lpeterman]

And a better use of tax-dollars, there NEVER was.

[@neilgillespie7435]

Lose the music

[@uncletiggermclaren7592]

Well, all well and good, but without large numbers of herbivores to eat that grass up,the next century is going to see both massive wildfires along the water course in the summer, and huge stagnant swamps down stream.

[@jamesharmon3827]

You missed the entire point.

[@lpeterman]

Incorrect, Uncle T.; The oases created by Beaver ponds become a wildfire buffer, slowing significantly or stopping outright all but the most massive wildfire. The fire burns up to, then is stopped. MOST low to moderate fires cannot get through. Many before/after photos PROVE Beaver-created wetlands are beneficial in slowing/channeling wildfire.

[@C.Hawkshaw]

There’s a huge elk herd that passes through a lot of this area. I’ve seen them many times. Also deer and cattle out there.

[@timlewis5096]

Bugger the wire fencing. Set up an electric wire and watch them squeal!!!

[@someone-gb2ec]

You are cruel

[@lpeterman]

You FIRST, Timmy.

[@bigsheeple652]

The forest service is always good for a laugh, I love watching people trying to play God LOLOLOL

[@TurboLoveTrain]

The timber industry runs Washington state and they only hire biologists that agree with them... they do not employ mycologists. They are also notorious for lying about literally everything. I talked to one of the tree farmers out of Sequim working on their experimental plots and not only did they introduce a GMO Doug Fir into the replanting cycle without telling anyone they never ever tested the mycological impact of the tree. The tree harvesters also spray POISON after every clearcut harvest--yet another factoid never advertised to the general public.

[@lpeterman]

Better the attempt for remediation of habitat after the corporate GREED and destruction wrought for the Almighty Dollar, than ignoring the problem created by said greedy corporations.

[@C.Hawkshaw]

Don’t be cynical, it’s bad for your soul. 😂