Lunch & Learn | Beavers: Ecosystem Engineers

As ecosystem engineers, beavers have a big impact on the habitats that they call home. This can often be a boon for fish and wildlife sharing this space, but a headache for people nearby. Throughout the Puget Sound region, many beavers find homes in urban and exurban waterways. Beavers Northwest Communications Manager Joe Mouser will dive into beavers’ unique ecology, incredible benefits, as well as the challenges and opportunities afforded by living with beavers in a landscape dominated by human infrastructure.

Joe Mouser is the Communications Manager of Beavers Northwest, a nonprofit that strives to increase acceptance and understanding of beavers to support healthier and more resilient ecosystems. His passion for wetland ecosystems is what originally drew him to beavers, but his love for these incredible animals has taken on a life of its own. He believes that by helping beavers and humans to coexist, we can improve the functions of the watersheds of our region to better serve the plants, animals, and people that rely on them.