On a cloudy December Saturday, a group of wildlife enthusiasts met on a dirt pull-off in southern Arizona to embark on a mission. Wide-eyed and unified, the cadre of researchers, advocates, professors and students had volunteered to spend the day collecting data for conservation.
At the helm was Lisa Shipek, the executive director and founder of Watershed Management Group, a Tucson-based non-profit that organizes ecology-based community events. She had convened the group near the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area with a single goal: finding Castor canadensis, the North American beaver, or at the very least spotting signs they're in the area.
Beavers once thrived in this part of southeastern Arizona. Centuries of trapping led to a local extinction by the late 19th century. In their absence, the ecosystem services they provided vanished, too. Their penchant for building dams slowed stream flows, enhanced riparian habitat and even restored aquifers when flood plains overflowed.
Volunteers search for beavers on Arizona's San Pedro River
At the helm was Lisa Shipek, the executive director and founder of Watershed Management Group, a Tucson-based non-profit that organizes ecology-based community events. She had convened the group near the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area with a single goal: finding Castor canadensis, the North American beaver, or at the very least spotting signs they're in the area.
Beavers once thrived in this part of southeastern Arizona. Centuries of trapping led to a local extinction by the late 19th century. In their absence, the ecosystem services they provided vanished, too. Their penchant for building dams slowed stream flows, enhanced riparian habitat and even restored aquifers when flood plains overflowed.
Volunteers search for beavers on Arizona's San Pedro River