BEND, Ore. — Think Wild animal hospital is recruiting hundreds of volunteers this fall to help restore beaver habitat in the Deschutes National Forest, after an unusually severe fire season forced the organization to delay or cancel several conservation projects.
Think Wild is hosting 50 volunteer days in September and October, with the hope of getting about eight volunteers a day. A key focus is building makeshift beaver dams which will mimic the real thing and hopefully draw beavers back to the area.
“It’s really unique. It’s basically humans try to imitate building beaver dams. You are literally just playing in the stream, putting mud and sticks together to try to build a dam which creates a pond so that there is late season deep water and potential for plants to grow with that new water table. When a beaver swims upstream looking for a new home, it’s like a gentrifying neighborhood, a starter home for the beaver,” Think Wild Conservation Director Maureen Thompson said.
Other projects are focused on restoring the riparian habitat by planting willow and cottonwood trees. Volunteers will also be surveying areas of the Deschutes National Forest to find out where beavers live.
Here are the dates when volunteers are needed. Click on each date to RSVP to volunteer.
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