Can Beavers Help Mitigate Wildfire and Drought?
Provided by: The Kid Should See This|Published on: April 27, 2021|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Type: Articles/Websites
Subjects: Biology
Authors: The Kid Should See This, PBS Terra
Location: North America, North America > United States, North America > United States > Idaho, North America > United States > Oregon
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This video explains how beavers can help restore habitats, minimize wildfires, and fight droughts.
- Students will learn that beaver dams store water and carbon and improve water quality.
- Climate change and human activity have degraded many habitats, making it hard for beavers to survive, but scientists are now working to reintroduce beavers into several river ecosystems.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- A short article below the video provides links to relevant sources.
- Students will learn from the scientists who are studying and working with the beavers.
- This engaging video uses animation as well as historic and present-day video footage to illustrate certain concepts.
Additional Prerequisites
- There may be ads during the video.
- Students should have a basic understanding of ecosystems and keystone species.
Differentiation
- Teachers could use this video in a biology class when discussing climate change and keystone species.
- Science classes could research other biomimicry climate change solutions.
- Other resources on this topic include this video and article on how scientists can use nature to help restore ecosystems, this video on the adverse impacts of human activity on the water cycle, and this video on how wildfires are affecting Oregon.
This resource is a 10-minute video and article that examines how beavers can strengthen and manage healthy stream ecosystems. Beavers and their dams can retain water, enhance ecosystem health and resilience, and even reduce the damage done by droughts and fires. This resource is a comprehensive and hopeful look at a promising way to use natural resources (here, beavers) to restore habitats and enhance climate resilience. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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