The Hidden World of Beavers

Over the last two years, I've been seeing beavers differently. Which is to say, I went from never really seeing them at all to seeing the signs of their influence everywhere.
​Somehow I made it through a whole biology degree and a life-long love of rivers without ever really seeing a beaver dam in the flesh, or at least without noticing the beaver signs that must have been all around me all along. It wasn't until my internship with Berkeley Lab watershed researchers in Crested Butte that my eyes were opened to the wonderful world of beavers, and the astonishingly large role they play in shaping and protecting the landscapes I love. 
I didn't get to do them justice with that project, so on my latest mini-Watson along the Colorado River, I made sure to spend some time capturing the story of beavers in the Rockies, and how they have a hand (er, paw) in the health of the Colorado downstream. For my personal SciComm project this month, I've pulled together some of that work into a StoryMap about beavers' critical role, and the creative solutions being employed to coax them into the places where they're needed most. 

​Enjoy!

(Note: Embedded StoryMaps are best viewed in a wide window on a desktop or tablet. If you want to view this on mobile or are having issues with the embedded version, you can view it directly here)

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I hope this helped you see beavers and the landscapes they shape in a new, more interesting light! If you have a moment, let me know what you thought of this project, and if there's anything you'd like to see next, in the comments or through the contact form, I always love to hear from people. 

Until next month!
Jeremy