#16: Beavers, Water Ecology, and You!, July 22, 2026

For this Minnesota Women in Conservation Welcoming Wednesday Webinar on July 22, 2026, we had an enlightening discussion on the keystone super rodent: Beavers! Learn more about the history of beavers  in MN, their indelible role as water engineers, their impact on river ecology and so much more. 

July 22, 2026

Webinar Topic: 

Beavers, Water Ecology, and You!

Webinar Hosts:

Alex Kiminski, Southwest Regional Coordinator

Conservation Professionals:

Dr. Jessie Moravek, University of Minnesota 

Jen Vanderhoof, Senior Ecologist King County

Bios:

Dr. Jessie Moravek is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Minnesota whose work focuses on freshwater ecology, river restoration, and the role of beavers in climate adaptation. She is an expert in modeling where beavers might build dams, which helps prioritize restoration activities. Jessie also has a background in water quality monitoring and fish habitat conservation, which eventually led her to working on beavers because it turns out beavers help with both of those things. Jessie lives in Minneapolis and loves to observe the resident urban beavers along the Mississippi River. 

Jen Vanderhoof is a wildlife ecologist in the Science Section at King County, WA, where she has worked since 1999. Over the years her varied work has included a wide variety of wildlife, riparian, wetland, and biodiversity projects. For the past 10 years, much of Jen’s work has centered around beavers and beaver-adjacent topics, including researching new planting techniques at restoration sites, consulting on restoration design, policy, and helping problem solve for colleagues county-wide. 

Links to Resources Shared in the Webinar: 

Ecosystem Services Provided by Beavers: https://www.beaverinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Ecosystem-services-provided-by-beavers-Castor-spp.pdf

Economic Value of Beaver Ecosystem Services: https://www.beaverinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/BeaverEconomicValue2011.pdf

Beaver Photos: Lodges & Dams: https://www.beaversmatter.org/beaver-photos/lodges-burrows-dams-canals

Beaver Ponds: https://www.nps.gov/articles/beaver-ponds.htm

Post-fire Sediment Attenuation in Beaver Ponds, Rocky Mountains, CO and WY, USA: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/esp.5970

Beaver Management Solutions: https://cdn.kingcounty.gov/-/media/king-county/depts/dnrp/nature-recreation/environment-ecology-conservation/wildlife/beavers/beaver-management-matrix-9-6-2019.pdf?rev=387733165a1e49daaa6bd3992ed23dfd&hash=5675D6BA1B3596B91B146601F73E31BC

Beavers “Do it Better” video: https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/dnrp/about-king-county/about-dnrp/newsroom/2024-news-releases/05-16-beaver-restoration-projects

The Builders: How Beavers Mend Our Planet: https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolab-kids/articles/the-builders-how-beavers-mend-our-planet

Beaver Made:  The Botany of a Keystone Species: https://www.beaverinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Beaver-Made-The-Botany-of-a-Keystone-Species.pdf

Beaver Innovations: https://beaverinnovations.com/

Resources for Working with Beavers: https://projectbeaver.org/resources/

BeaverWise Program: SVPA Beaver Wise

Beavers in King County

https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/dnrp/nature-recreation/environment-ecology-conservation/wildlife/beavers

Minnesota DNR logs 202 fish kill reports as heat wave pushes lake temps to 88 degrees: https://www.news8000.com/news/environment/minnesota-dnr-logs-202-fish-kill-reports-as-heat-wave-pushes-lake-temps-to-88/article_86d6e380-c858-5b03-b4a5-dddaef5b325a.html 

Voyageurs Wolf Project: https://www.voyageurswolfproject.org/ 

The Most Proficient Beaver Hunter: https://www.voyageurswolfproject.org/wolfv083

Meet the Giant Beaver: https://www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/blog/meet-the-giant-beaver/

Jessie Moravek website: https://jessiemoravek.weebly.com/

Contacts:

Dr. Jessie Moravek:  morav042@umn.edu

Jennifer Vanderhoof: jennifer.vanderhoof@kingcounty.gov

About Minnesota Women in Conservation

Minnesota Women in Conservation (MNWiC) is a project of Renewing the Countryside in partnership with the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). MNWiC's mission is to engage women in conservation conversations, connecting them with the tools and resources needed to develop their own goals. We facilitate Regional Networks  to help all women of every experience level to learn and to implement practices in their own spaces, both urban and rural.  We are here to nurture land and community. Join us!

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