As sustainability is the process of efficiently using resources with the future in mind, there is no greater partner in sustainability than the beaver. On this episode, we hear from Mike Settell, the executive director of Watershed Guardians. Watershed Guardians is a nonprofit that focuses on the counting and preservation of beavers within the Portneuf watershed. This organization and Settells work with beavers was covered in depth on KISU radio show, The Nature of Idaho, back in October. My conversation with Settell focused on the environmental effects of beavers.
Beaver habitats sequester carbon, improve water quality, mitigate floods, and suppress fires. With climate disasters becoming more regular, Settell argues that time and money can be saved by embracing beavers' natural effect rather than try to replace them with technology.
