Exploring Beaver Habitat

Beavers are fascinating creatures that play an important conservation role in creating, repairing, and maintaining wetland habitats. Acting as “ecosystem engineers”, they chew down trees to build dams and lodges. These dams slow rushing water, reduce flooding, mitigate droughts, and create deep ponds that provide safety for the beavers and habitat for many other species. While they help protect soil by slowing water flow, beavers are sometimes considered a nuisance in areas where tree establishment is the priority, as they gnaw on and fell trees. However, their work also creates wetlands, increases biodiversity, and helps filter water. Join us for a special field day as we walk the land of Driftless Dane Farm. Owner and Operator JBC Heffernan will take us on a tour of the beaver habitat on her property. Next, we'll hear from Emily Fairfax, an expert on beavers and their habitats. Fairfax is Assistant Professor of Geography at Universit…