Beavers

For millions of years beavers were well adapted and thriving in North America. Native Americans hunted them mainly for food and then introduced their hides to European hunters and trappers in the1600s as barter. Unfortunately, starting in the 17th century, their hide and fur became highly sought after by Europeans. As the beaver fur trade took off, it became a major force in American history: It was a major driver of westward expansion, a primary cause of wars (including the Iroquois Beaver Wars over 60 years), and a source of enormous wealth—John Jacob Astor became the richest person in America through monopolizing the fur trade. Beaver pelts were the first great trade commodity in America.

The pelts were in demand particularly because they could be made into durable, water-resistant felt hats. Fashionable in much of Europe from 1550–1850, beaver hats ranged from the three-cornered Continental to the familiar top hat. The result was that beavers were extensively hunted and trapped and on the verge of extinction in the late 1800s—saved only by a sudden fashion change to silk hats. Beaver numbers have rebounded in recent times, and the IUCN lists them now as a species of least concern (though their numbers are still well below what they were before the beaver fur trade and the expanded settlement of America).

Some quick facts:

—Beavers originated in North America, and there are currently at least 15 million North American beavers found throughout the U.S. and Canada. (The other beaver species, the Eurasian, numbers around 1 million.)

—Beavers generally weigh 45–60 pounds, but can reach 100. They are vegetarian, subsisting on tree bark and twigs, water plants, and grasses, and they to live 10–12 years. And they have a strong family structure, with three generations often living together in their lodge.

—Their dams create ponds where they can build lodges with underwater entrances—protecting them from land predators. 

—Because of their impressive construction efforts they have long been symbols of hard work and industriousness—“busy as a beaver.” The beaver is the national animal of Canada as well as the state animal of Oregon and New York. And the beaver is a common school emblem at engineering schools like Cal Tech and MIT (which has produced arguably the best college sports cheer ever—the MIT Beaver Call). “Busy beaver” is even a term in computer science, referring to “a terminating program of a given size that produces the most output possible.”

Often considered pests for flooding cropland or roadways (USDA has had a beaver extermination program for more than 100 years), beavers in the last few years have received considerable positive attention. As one writer put it, “Beavers, you might say, are having a moment.” As global warming intensifies droughts, floods, and wildfires, beavers are increasingly being seen as “furry weapons of climate resilience” and “a force of 15-40 million highly skilled environmental engineers.” They are being praised for helping to preserve water resources at a time of increasing shortages, for offering a natural solution to fighting wildfires by creating soggy areas that fires can’t cross, and for making dams and pools that slow torrents of rainwater. Beavers also protect dwindling species by creating networks of ponds and wetlands—making them a keystone species. Native Americans have been relocating beavers to their tribal lands, as part of their effort to reclaim indigenous land management practices. Even farmers who considered them pests and wanted them eliminated are starting to appreciate their value in preserving scarce water resources, and the USDA now says they are reviewing the relevant science to rethink their approach. All of which makes the long underappreciated, hardworking beavers’ future look brighter, as we increasingly learn to just let beavers be beavers.