Beaver Works Oregon, a program of Think Wild dedicated to supporting beaver in Oregon’s high desert, recently planted and fenced off 5,180 willow, cottonwood, and assorted riparian plants at both public and private riparian project sites throughout Central Oregon this Spring. The goal is for the plants to establish and provide essential beaver habitat that supports beaver population recovery and associated ecosystem benefits.
Led by Beaver Works Oregon Program Manager Dr. Maureen Thompson, the team recruited, trained, and led over ninety volunteers for a collective 800 hours of willow and cottonwood stick harvesting, planting, fencing, and monitoring efforts. Planting sites included private land along the Little Deschutes in La Pine, Lake Creek Lodge in Camp Sherman, and La Pine and Collier Memorial State Parks. Beaver Works Oregon will continue to monitor the sites through annual visits and will remove the fencing after the plantings have a chance to establish.
“Volunteers were integral throughout the process,” said Dr. Thompson. “Willow and cottonwood cuttings were collected and stored in the winter. When spring came, volunteers at the sites trimmed the sticks, drove metal stakes into the ground to plant them along the river, placed cardboard and mud around the plantings to create ideal conditions for growth, and put up fencing to protect the plots from disturbances. Trail cameras were also set up to observe wildlife near the sites.”
Beavers are a keystone species, and their activity in stream ecosystems leads to greater biodiversity and increased drought, flood, and fire tolerance. For beaver to establish in an area, there need to be plentiful riparian trees, like willow, aspen, and cottonwood, for food, shelter, and dam-building. Due to various anthropogenic stressors, though, many areas in Central Oregon host to these essential riparian plants have been degraded and are unable to sustain beavers.
By working with landholders to identify project sites and then leading volunteer crews to harvest and plant cuttings of willow and cottonwood trees near rivers and streams, Beaver Works Oregon works to restore the habitat that beavers need to succeed. These community-based activities not only contribute to the restoration of ecosystems crucial for beavers but also provide opportunities for students and adults to “recreate for good,” working, camping, and learning about beaver habitat, healthy ecosystems, and working lands. 
Each project site this year presented a unique opportunity to fulfill conservation needs and positively impact wildlife and the community. For example, at Lake Creek Lodge in Camp Sherman, willow, cottonwood, and aspen were planted along the South Fork of Lake Creek, a tributary to the Metolius River. The planting project was also supplemented by an outdoor natural history walk and a viewing of The Beaver Believers to educate the community and Lodge guests on the benefits of beaver. Under the world’s largest Ponderosa tree, plantings at La Pine State Park occupy a section of the Deschutes River within the National System of Wild and Scenic Rivers, adjacent to sensitive wildlife. 
If you are a landholder who might be interested in hosting a beaver habitat restoration project on your land, please contact Dr. Thompson at 541-699-1606. You can learn more about Think Wild’s Beaver Works Oregon program at https://beaverworksoregon.org/.
