You might have noticed one of the rounds in our hatchery recently had a makeover. We are so excited to announce that through a partnership with Cascade Forest Conservancy (CFC), Columbia Springs is now a housing location for beavers undergoing relocation! The beavers are temporarily staying at Columbia Springs because we want to keep the entire family together before moving them to the National Forest. They will stay here for up to two weeks before they are released! If you don’t see anyone in the enclosure, it probably because we just took a family to their new home and are working on gathering another one.
We would love for you to visit our new friends! But please keep your voice levels low when near the beaver enclosure so that they are able to rest. Know that beavers are mostly nocturnal or crepuscular and usually sleeping during the day. They also are easily stressed out.
Through the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Beaver Relocation Program, Cascade Forest Conservancy has been reintroducing beavers into areas of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, where their engineering skills will benefit the landscape. All the relocated beavers come from Vancouver and surrounding cities where their activity was causing an issue on someone’s property.
Beavers are habitat-altering keystone species that create ponds and wetlands, benefiting many other animals and the forest ecosystem as a whole.
Learn more about the project by watching the video below!