More Reasons to Love Beavers

Castor canadensis, also known as a beaver, taken at Fitsimmons creek. Photo credit: Bob Brett

Beavers are hard-working, tenacious mammals that quietly go about their activities without getting

involved in the affairs of others. They are deeply embedded in Canadian history and culture. They are

slow to anger, but ferociously protect territory when provoked. All in all, beavers are the perfect national

symbol for Canada.

There are plush beaver toys and no end of products with beavers in their name (Beaver Tails, Beaver

float planes, Thirsty Beaver beer) or as their symbol (Parks Canada, Roots, CP Rail). Even though beaver

top hats went out of fashion more than 100 years ago, they are a reminder of the beaver trade that

propelled most of the first European settlement westward in North America.

These are all good reasons to admire beavers, but when you factor in all of their beneficial impacts on

nature and (mostly) positive impacts on humans, it’s hard to think of an animal more worthy of respect,

protection, and yes, love.

Beavers are second only to humans in their ability to alter landscapes, the difference being that beavers’

impacts almost always benefit nature. Beavers build dams to create a security perimeter around their

lodges (as protection from predators) and to store food. Those dams and the wetlands they create are

why beavers are so important from an ecological perspective.

Not everyone is impressed by these magnificent works, however, especially humans who consider them

pests. Farmers want to maximize their arable land. Golf courses and railways tend to be placed in the

valley bottoms that are prime beaver habitat. And towns like Whistler, Squamish, and Pemberton have

concentrated their own developments in the valley bottom.

But beavers are having a moment as more people discover the importance of all the good things they do, not least of which is creating wetlands. And Whistler has lots of beaver wetlands!

These wetlands protect biodiversity by providing habitat for otters and birds, dragonflies and aquatic

plants, amphibians and snails, reptiles and fish, as well as countless other organisms. They filter water

and store nutrients. They also store water, which becomes ever more important as the climate dries.

Without wetlands, our valley would have less absorptive capacity to mitigate floods. And in an age of

ever-increasing concerns about fire risk, what better fire break could there be than a valley bottom

complex of lakes and wetlands?

The dams themselves offer additional positive impacts. They slow water and thus reduce erosion. They

maintain water levels for spawning fish as well as recreationists floating down the River of Golden

Dreams in their canoes and Explorers. And of course, without those dams, there would be no wetlands.

Whistler is learning to live with beavers rather than battle them, I think and hope. One of the key concepts is that beavers will happen, and it’s therefore best to beaver-safe any developments rather than beaver-proof them. For example, we can stay out of the lowest-lying areas so that beavers can do their thing without causing problems to buildings, roads, etc. And where those developments have already been built, let’s find ways to coexist with beavers as much as possible. After all, they are Canadian.

Have you seen a beaver? Please report any activity directly to Bob (bob@snowlineresearch.ca) or via

the Whistler Naturalists (whistlernaturalists.ca; Facebook and Instagram @WhistlerNaturalists).

Written by Bob Brett

#fauna