wild thing
Nature ’ s busiest Landscape Architect
By ellen Gordon ILLUSTRATION BY KAI KRENSLER
What if with one wave of a magic wand you could curb runoff , conserve rain water , increase biodiversity , recharge the aquifer and stabilize groundwater , improve water quality and provide a sanctuary during wildfires ? No money needed and no human labor required . Magic wands may not be real , but beavers are , and they can do all of that !
Estimates for the number of beaver in North America pre-European contact vary from 60-400 million , or an average of 10-75 beavers per square mile , but today there are just 10-15 million . Historically , they ranged from northern Mexico into much of Canada and Alaska . For 200 years , from about 1670-1870 , beaver populations were decimated by the fashion industry , trapped until they were nearly extinct . At that time in western history , wearing hats was obligatory , and hats made from wool felt were in high demand ; not the wool we often think of , from sheep , but the undercoat of certain animals , such as beaver and rabbit . That of the beaver in particular produced a luxurious felt that was waterproof , with a beautiful sheen . Beaver pelts were so valuable that much of eastern Canada and the northern United States early histories were molded by different nationalities and groups fighting to control the industry . Beaver trapping and trade also critically affected Europeans ’ interactions with the indigenous tribes of the region .