Beavers: The Salish Sea's Engineers

Beavers are truly nature’s "engineers." They create habitat for many species, including salmon. Did you know researchers have discovered beaver populations living in the tidal marshes of the Salish Sea, an environment long considered unsuitable for them? Restoring beaver populations is being explored as a key strategy for aiding salmon recovery efforts regionally. However, there is concern over recent discoveries of dead beavers washing up on local beaches in the San Juan Islands, prompting investigations into potential causes like disease or toxins. On this episode, my co-worker who is TWM's Field Operations Coordinator, Erin Casellas, joins us to tell us all about beavers and the latest scoop on dead beavers that have washed up which TWM's marine mammal stranding network staff responded to.