Big Picture Science: Leave it to Beavers
REPEAT
They are known
for holding branches in their paws and gnawing on them like corn cobs. They
build lodges and dams which occasionally flood roads. Cute, comical, and
considered pests, beavers were nearly hunted to extinction for their pelts
before conservation efforts allowed their populations to rebound. Now
environmentalists and engineers are reintroducing North America’s largest
rodent to drought-prone habitats across the country. As the paddle-tailed
animals’ dam-building has revealed itself to be a potent bulwark against
climate change-induced water scarcity, the beaver is being hailed as an
ecological hero.
Join us as we
stomp through soggy meadows getting to know the OG geoengineers. From their
water pressure-sensing tails to their intricate branch-weaving, find out why,
as our nation’s wetlands disappear, and new federal policies strip protection
for many of those that remain, many think that partnership with a wild species
could help build ecological resiliency.
Guests:
- Leila Philip – Journalist and author of “Beaverland: How One Weird Rodent Made America”
- Denise Burchsted – research scientist, and engineer, Keene State College
- Clay Frazer – restoration ecologist with Native Range Ecological
- Michael Waasegiizhig Price – traditional ecological knowledge specialist at the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission. He is Anishinaabe and a longtime tribal college educator serving at Leech Lake Tribal College and White Earth Tribal and Community College.
Originally aired July 28, 2025
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