One warm morning in the summer of 2025, the Beaver Brigade marched into Bernheim Forest. This woodland spans more than 16,000 acres (6,475 hectares) in north-central Kentucky. Every other month, volunteer brigade members hike in to make it more beaver-friendly.
Beavers are nature’s engineers, notes Evan Patrick. A brigade member, he helps manage the forest. Beavers build dams across streams to create small, protected ponds. The large rodents also build their homes, called lodges, in those ponds. Beaver dams and their ponds shape how water moves through a landscape. They also help keep streams healthy.
The Beaver Brigade wants to help these animals out.
Sometimes they count beavers to see how many are around. Sometimes they plant shrubs or trees the critters eat or use as building materials. Sometimes they scout for new dams or signs of new lodges.
Read Entire Article
English (US)