Today is Beaver Day! Despite their small size, beavers are significant contributors to supporting biodiversity and combating climate change. How do they accomplish this? By building dams. 

Beavers construct dams using only small or unhealthy trees, which serve as shelter for themselves. These dams hold back water, creating wetlands that provide critical habitats for other species. Wetlands are areas where water covers the soil for extended periods, and wildlife depend on them for food, water, and shelter. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, nearly 60% of threatened species rely on wetlands for survival. 

Wetlands also play an essential role in carbon storage, helping to regulate the planet's climate. They prevent flooding by absorbing large amounts of water, allowing for the replenishment of groundwater and filtering water to remove contaminants. And we can thank beavers for their contributions to mitigating climate change. 

As ecosystem engineers, beavers transform the landscape by building dams and wetlands that create clearings in dense forests. This permits sunlight to reach the forest floor, encouraging various plant life to flourish, thus enhancing biodiversity. 

Another vital role that beavers fulfill is providing a complex food web for other species. The submerged wood in a beaver dam decomposes, subsequently becoming food for insects. These insects, in turn, become food for fish, birds, amphibians, and other mammals. 

These benefits for wildlife, humans, and the planet stem from one small creature working to provide shelter and protection for its family. To learn more about how to help beavers, visit www.projectbeaver.org.

Resources:

1. “Why Do Beavers Build the Most Amazing Dams?” Champions for Wildlife.  https://championsforwildlife.org/why-do-beavers-build-dams/

2. Enviroliteracy Team.  2025, February 23rd.  “Why are Beavers Important to the Ecosystem?”  Enviroliteracy.  https://enviroliteracy.org/why-are-beavers-important-to-the-ecosystem/