Lifeslices: Coexisting with Beavers

Lifeslices with Steve Fisher

When Mother Nature created beavers, she proved to have a sense of humor. These funny-looking oversized members of the rodent family have buck teeth and large paddle-like tails, perfect for cartoon characters. But she also had a plan, imbuing them with an ecological purpose. Unfortunately, man came along and didn’t see it that way. Farmers and ranchers, not to mention fur traders, drove the beavers away and close to the point of extinction. Now, thanks to organizations like Defenders of Wildlife, beavers are making a comeback. Peggy Darr is one of their Defenders and talks to host Steve Fisher about the pros and cons of adding more beavers to our environment.