Founded in 2020, The SLO Beaver Brigade aims to educate the county of San Luis Obispo on the benefits of beavers to the watershed and to create the political, social and physical conditions for beavers to thrive along the Salinas River. Beavers are nature’s best water engineers. Through their natural behaviors, they improve riparian areas, make landscapes more resistant to fire and flooding, and provide important habitats for other species. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife recognized the importance of beavers as a “keystone species” in 2023 when they established the Beaver Restoration Program, which strives to implement beaver-assisted restoration projects to support ecosystem conservation and improve climate change, drought and wildfire resilience throughout California. By protecting beaver habitats, supporting research of beavers and wetlands, organizing cleanups and more, SLO Beaver Brigade is working as an ally and advocate for beavers in the Salinas Valley and throughout California.
February 2023, SLO Beaver Brigade fundraiser at Castoro Cellars with Kevin Swift, Dr. Emily Fairfax, Cooper Lienhart and Nick Hatalski presenting. (Photo by Brittany App)
The SLO Beaver Brigade carries out its mission through the hard work of a six-person staff of local SLO environmental experts and advocates. The benefits of the organization’s restoration, protection and education projects ripple through communities all along the 170-mile length of the Salinas River and its 4,160 square-mile watershed. The Brigade has presented their research findings at the annual California Beaver Summit at Sonoma State University and hosted webinars, book talks and documentary screenings around the county. In 2020, they organized 402 volunteers for a river cleanup that removed 6 tons of toxic and unsightly trash from camps along five miles of the river. In 2023, they hosted the First Annual Beaver Festival in San Luis Obispo, followed by a sold-out fundraiser at Castoro Cellars. Looking ahead, SLO Beaver Brigade is helping protect beaver habitats as they recover from the damage caused by the recent flood season. Luckily–the beavers know how to rebuild
First Annual Beaver Festival, SLO Mission Plaza, April 1st, 2023. (Photos by Brittany App)