Which creature fights fires, creates wetlands, recharges groundwater, alters landscapes, and is a climate hero? Beavers!

Our natural systems are under great stress. However, nature’s inclination is toward healing, and we can work with the logic of ecology to restore landscapes and waterways. Biodiversity for a Livable Climate hosts authors Judith D. Schwartz and Ben Goldfarb as they talk about regenerating landscapes—and the pivotal role of animals in earth healing. Judith’s…

Climate Restoration Solutions – Leave it to Beavers!  Learn how beavers can help restore wetlands, which have one of the greatest potentials to restore habitats and sequester carbon. Check out Eager! by Ben Goldfarb.

This study examines the positive effects of beaver damming on the resistance of landscapes to wildfire damage. The authors find that in riparian corridors (areas along rivers), the presence of beavers and their dams can create refuges that withstand blazes that consume surrounding vegetation. Beavers play an important role in wetland habitats and are known…

First talk in our GBH Forum Network series, Life Saves the Planet, with author Judy Schwartz discussing her new book, Reindeer Chronicles. Watch the video.

The deep winter snow falls on the mountains around the Methow Valley in the state of Washington are declining. To manage problems with drought, the Methow Beaver Project has been capturing, tagging, matching male and female beavers and releasing them in key valley areas. The project workers know beavers are master engineers that know how…

FIX LINK AT BOTTOM Jan Lambert’s Quick Take: ‘Beavers As Partners’ is a community service focus of The Valley Green Journal in helping communities find non-lethal solutions to human-beaver conflicts, especially with the use of beaver deceiver flow devices to prevent flooding. Abstract: Beavers As Partners is a campaign to raise awareness of the critical…

Jan Lambert’s Quick Take: If you love beavers you need to meet Sharon Brown, a beaver advocate who raises orphaned beaver kits as their “mother” and even takes her babies for swimming lessons! Abstract: Beavers: Wetlands & Wildlife (BWW) is an educational nonprofit that has been helping people enjoy the great benefits of coexistence with…

FIX LINK Jan Lambert’s Quick Take: Beavers are nature’s water engineers; they create and preserve wetlands vital to ecosystems. When beavers and human activities conflict with each other, there can be a win-win solution for both the beavers and the humans! Be sure to check out Skip’s website! Abstract: A win-win solution to human-beaver conflict…

To reduce the severity of flooding in Lydbrook, Gloucestershire, England, where a 2012 flood did extensive damage, the UK Ministry of Environment released a family of beavers upstream of the village in a 6.5 ha enclosure in a publicly-owned forest. Scientists who have studied the stream believe the beaver dams could hold back some 6,000…

Beaver dams and overbank floods influence groundwater–surface water interactions of a Rocky Mountain riparian area, Westbrook et al. 2006 This study provides empirical evidence that beavers influence hydrologic processes in riparian areas. Conducted at the headwaters of the Colorado River in the Rocky Mountains, the study examines patterns from two beaver dams of surface inundation,…

This study provides empirical evidence that beavers influence hydrologic processes in riparian areas. Conducted at the headwaters of the Colorado River in the Rocky Mountains, the study examines patterns from two beaver dams of surface inundation, groundwater flow, and groundwater level dynamics. The authors observe that : Beaver dams on the Colorado River caused river…

Beavers are recognized for their ability to restore floodplain hydrology and biological function, yet finding suitable places for their reintroduction remains a conservation challenge. The goal of this study was to identify places in the Snohomish River basin of Washington state suitable for beaver reintroduction. Because of their abilities to modify streams and floodplains, beavers…

Politicians often call for logging and fuel reduction to prevent future wildfires. However, it’s not good logging trees that are burning in such fires so much as cheatgrass, annual weed, dry brush and dead weeds. Reintroducing beaver to create ponds could raise the water table, increase humidity in the drainage area (thus reducing burn intensity)…

Our Programs Keeping nature and biodiversity  in the climate conversation has been the focus of our outreach and education, with annual conferences catalyzing new partnerships and research. Over time this experience has led us to be more directly involved in local communities and hands-on restoration work.  Each program is a strategic lever, creating experiential learning,…

What is the heaviest, oldest and one of the largest creatures on the planet? It’s not the sperm whale, not even close. The surprising answer is PANDO!!! You’ve never heard of Pando? Neither had I, till Paula Phipps here at Bio4Climate suggested it as a Featured Creature! Pando is a 108-acre forest of quaking aspens…

We Need a New Climate Story Nature is Climate Biodiversity loss is not just the result of climate change, it is a primary driver of climate change.  Only solutions that prioritize this web of life will create a truly livable climate for all. Restore Nature – Cool the Planet Only nature has the ability to both…

by Fred Jennings, Ecological Economist for Biodiversity for a Livable Climate Part One: “Water Cools The Planet” Runtime 41:43 John Feldman introduces himself and expresses surprise that this work got him thinking a lot about water. The film proceeds to talk about water in its many diverse aspects: as a powerful greenhouse gas; in its…

Biodiversity 7: Rewilding Half the Earth to Create a Future We Want Fall 2022, Wednesdays, October 12 – December 28 12 weekly classes with our staff scientist, Jim Laurie. He will hold two sessions every Wednesday, from 12 – 2 pm ET and 7 – 9 pm ET to accommodate students’ different schedules. The Excitement…

Animals contribute vitally to Earth’s water, carbon, and nutrient cycles. Every ecosystem is supported by uncountable animal species, ranging from birds to insects and mammals to fish, as well as microscopic organisms. The devastating news is that the Earth is losing about 150 animal, plant and microbial species every day, mostly due to human activities.[8] Understanding…

Can large herbivores enhance ecosystem carbon persistence? Kristensen et al. 2021 This article considers the overlooked role of grasslands and large herbivores in carbon storage. The principal question the authors pose is: what is the impact of large wild and domestic herbivores on the ability of ecosystems to absorb and store carbon over the long…

After having been wiped out by the 1920s, wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park in 1995-1996. This study assessed the importance of large carnivores to wild ungulates’ behavior and density, with secondary effects on plant communities, rivers and channels, and beaver communities. Focusing on the West and East Forks of Blacktail Deer Creek, the…

Join the Transition to a Healthier World Cooling the Earth isn’t rocket science! But it’s not what most industries and governments are used to doing. That’s why we work so hard to educate the world that nature is the most important healing tool we’ve got. You can help bring this Earth-saving regeneration, already underway on…

Your gift means so much to us. From microbes, to mushrooms, to beavers, to humans, we all play important roles in regenerating ecosystems to heal and cool the earth. Thank you for taking part!

What species has a diet that includes small wasps, may be helping to spread an invasive species, and can predict hurricane season intensity?  The veery!  Living The Dream If you live in North or South America, particularly in the Northern United States, chances are you’ve seen a veery before! This creature is a member of…

Welcome to Biodiversity for a Livable Climate’s new website!Check out our Super Search button on the upper right of the page, which is right next to the Menu (and they will conveniently follow you around). There’s a wealth of information here on how to heal the biodiversity and global warming catastrophes that we’re facing today,…

Carol Evans, Nevada BLM fisheries biologist for the Elko District of the Bureau of Land Management in Nevada, joined the U.S. Forest Service in the late 1980’s and helped survey over 1,000 miles of streams in NE Nevada. She began her career with BLM in Elko in 1988 and since that time BLM and local ranchers…

What creature flocks together to produce a living Aurora?  The Starling! What is a starling, and how does it model good group behavior? The Starling is a moderate-sized bird about 8 inches long at maturity with a shiny, sometimes iridescent, dark coat and a raucous repertoire of chirps and cackles. It’s distributed across Europe, West…

Your gift means so much to us. From microbes, to mushrooms, to beavers, to humans, we all play important roles in regenerating ecosystems and healing the earth. Thank you for taking part!

Visits several examples of restoration in action from around the world, and reviews papers on floodplains, wetlands; discusses partnering with beavers; and considers how regenerative land management addresses heatwaves, droughts, floods and fires.  Special guest article on the Fourth Phase of Water by Gerald Pollack.

All over the world, from Australia to Europe to North and South America, wildfires have waged destruction on natural landscapes and human settlements alike. The devastation of these disasters is heartbreaking, and the images of catastrophe – walls of flame, scorched wildlife, a world gone red – are unforgettable. There is no more potent image…

Our burning planet: why we must learn to live with fire, Pyne 2020 Steven J. Pyne is an emeritus professor at Arizona State University and the author of several books on fire history and policy. He wrote this opinion piece as a protest against the prevention and suppression of wildfires in our land management process.…

Your gift means so much to us. From microbes, to mushrooms, to beavers, to humans, we all play important roles in regenerating ecosystems and healing the earth. Thank you for taking part!  

Your gift means so much to us. From microbes, to mushrooms, to beavers, to humans, we all play important roles in regenerating ecosystems and healing the earth. Thank you for taking part! https://youtu.be/kcvkMQLMZmM

Summer 2020, June 2 – August 18 Biodiversity, Symbiosis and Planetary Regeneration: Exploring Nature’s Possibilities for the Future! Weekly Classes with our staff scientist, Jim Laurie The Excitement and Inspiration of Sciencefor the Curious to the Serious and everyone in-between A fully interactive online adventure with discussions, experiments and explorations for independent thinkers of any age,…

One million of an estimated 8 million species on Earth are at risk of extinction in the coming decades, according to a May 2019 report from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Children today will live as adults in a world without the Milky Stork, without the Caquetá Tití Monkey, and…

The following sketches are but a tiny sampling of the countless ways people throughout the world push back against the socio-economic and political forces of destruction both of ecosystems and of the social fabric of society. Adopting Paul Hawken’s terminology and characterization of “blessed unrest” as a spontaneous, decentralized global social movement, we here present…

While previous issues of the Compendium have addressed ecosystem strategies to reverse global warming, here we discuss ecosystem restoration to adapt to the consequences of climate change. From drought in Cape Town and wildfire in California and Greece to flooding in Beijing, Paris, Houston and North Carolina, each new report of catastrophe makes climate change…

Given competing interests for floodplain property, some have argued for strategic partial reconnection of floodplains to the river by allowing portions of floodplain to flood, so that pressure elsewhere along the river during a flood may be alleviated [Opperman 2009]. For example, California’s Yolo Bypass was created in the early 1900s after the Sacramento River…

We know how to enhance resilience to extreme weather where we live and work. Communities throughout the world are utilizing these approaches, and here we highlight several initiatives in a variety of habitats to illustrate potential paths forward. More information is included just below each project description. Following this section is a collection of summaries…

As the hydrological benefits that beaver dams bring to streams and surrounding landscapes becomes better known, ranchers, wildlife managers and researchers are increasingly working together to repair streams by building Beaver Dam Analogs (BDAs). This method is attractive to ranchers searching for ways to manage drought and to irrigate their pastures reliably. In the spring,…

The following articles were selected and summarized by Bio4Climate’s Compendium editors and writers. The purpose of this collection is to highlight the scientific evidence and argumentation showing healthy restored and protected ecosystems as a powerful (albeit under-recognized) tool for managing the weather extremes wrought by climate change.   Floodplains and wetlands: making space for water…

Close up on California in the era of climate change: a verdant vision for fire-prone land Picture California in the 1700s, around the time the first Spanish missions appeared. It must have looked like heaven on earth for the 100,000s of native people living there [Ecological Society of America 2014], cradled between forested mountains and…

Picture California in the 1700s, around the time the first Spanish missions appeared. It must have looked like heaven on earth for the 100,000s of native people living there [Ecological Society of America 2014], cradled between forested mountains and sparkling ocean. Meandering streams and rivers teeming with salmon criss-cross the valley and are knit together…

Scenario 300: Reducing Atmospheric CO2 to 300 ppm by 2061         by Jim Laurie, Staff Scientist Biodiversity for a Livable Climate bio4climate.org jimlaurie7@gmailcom  March 20, 2018 Danger in the Arctic: The Urgency of the Climate Situation Atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have increased from 315 ppm in 1958 to 410 ppm in 2018. This is the…

Biodiversity refers to the outcome of 3.8 billion years of evolution since single-cellular life appeared on Earth. It is a concept embodied by an endless variety of life forms and strategies undertaken within the kingdoms of life. Biodiversity allows for a dynamic web of interactions, whereby countless organisms reliably supply one another with sufficient nutrients and…

Conference Home    Speakers    Program    Sponsors and Partners Climate Reckoning – Program – Scroll down for links to videos . . .  Systems thinking takes on climate! The most powerful climate tool isn’t emissions reductions, regenerative agriculture, holistic management, biochar, soil restoration or any of a number of others.  Because global warming isn’t just about greenhouse gases,…

Soils This compendium is, if nothing else, a testament to the key role soils must play if we are to preserve life on earth through the anthropocene. Soils, the engine of every terrestrial ecosystem, are themselves wildly diverse subterranean ecosystems providing habitat to countless trillions of micro- and macro-organisms. These organisms themselves create the soil…

With the rise of civilizations, humans began having significant impacts on bodies of water and the water cycle.  The early “hydraulic civilizations” appeared along major rivers (Nile, Tigris-Euphrates, Indus, Yellow River and others), changed watercourses and built canals for agriculture and transportation.  As populations and cities expanded, demand for food led to soil depletion while…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Healthy soils and water cycles are closely intertwined. Opportunities abound to restore fresh and saltwater wetlands, and to manage urban, suburban and rural water flows in ways that help cool the planet. Nature has fascinating and powerful systems…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Healthy soils and water cycles are closely intertwined. Opportunities abound to restore fresh and saltwater wetlands, and to manage urban, suburban and rural water flows in ways that help cool the planet. Nature has fascinating and powerful systems…

Let’s pull carbon out of the atmosphere and bring down the higher temperatures brought about by global warming – safely, inexpensively, low-tech, with a broad range of benefits. It was a great conference!  Video links are directly beneath the title of each presentation, below.Downloads: Conference Program,  Book List,  Take Action!, Carbon Unit Conversions Scenario 300: Making…

Landscape Heroes: Carbon, Water and Biodiversity See program below, with links to videos! A collaboration with the Ecological Landscape Alliance, NOFA (Northeast Organic Farming Association), NOFA Organic Land Care, and Biodiversity for a Livable Climate  UMass Amherst, Tuesday, January 31st: An in-depth, inspiring conversation on Carbon Sequestration and learn what practical steps you can take…

Voices of Water for Climate UN Water Conference March 22-24, 2023 Voices of Water for Climate works on bringing the vital power of water to cool the Earth to the center of climate action. Our central focus on the role of biology in powering the water cycle offers guiding principles for the ecological restoration and…

Scaling Up Local Food Systems, Carl Safina: What are animals thinking and feeling?, Restoring Beaver Populations in California

The Power and Promise of Biodiversity– Program – Home    Speakers    Program     Scroll down to program for videos and slideshows!——————————We are telling the story of biodiversity. “Biodiversity, a contraction of ‘biological diversity,’ generally refers to the variety and variability of life on Earth. One of the most widely used definitions states it in terms of the…

Climate Solutions Information Sheets Single-page double-sided information sheets on various topics in regenerative management to end global warming. Created by the Washington, DC Chapter of Biodiversity for a Livable Climate.  Feel free to download files, print and circulate. Beavers – Nature’s remarkable water engineers! Soil Carbon Cowboys – How Holistic Planned Grazing can restore millions of…

Carol Evans, Nevada Bureau of Land Management fisheries biologist whose work has been featured in the film The Beaver Whisperers, highlighting her deep involvement in monitoring the impact that planned grazing and returning beaver have had on restoring watersheds. Jon Griggs, ranch manager for Maggie Creek Ranch, a beef-cattle operation running on both public and…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Restoration ecologist Jim Laurie illuminates the vital connections between water cycles and biodiversity, describing numerous keystone species – from microbes and worms to beavers, burrowing animals and ruminants – which increase water infiltration and retention in landscapes. By…

Learn more about Biodiversity for a Livable Climate: https://bio4climate.org/ Please donate to our ecosystem restoration work: https://bio4climate.org/donate/ Jan Lambert introduces, by way of photos and illustrations, the richly varied ways in which rainwater is now being successfully restored into landscapes. From holistic green pastures in America to green roofs in Scotland, from using beaver dams…

Restoring Ecosystems with Nature’s Hydrologists: American Beavers, Featured Event: An Evening with Water Scientist Michal Kravcik, Water Cycles Conference Thank You

Restoring Water Cycles – Program – Home     Speakers     Sponsors/Partners   Scroll down to view videos and slideshows! Our program addressed science, land management practices and activism.   There was ample time for Q&A, and attendees and speakers were encouraged to attend the entire conference in order to be available for thought-provoking dialogue and creative networking. On Sunday…

Resources Be sure to check out our Compendium of Scientific and Practical Findings Supporting Eco-Restoration to Address Global Warming, a collection of evidence of widely available positive environmental outcomes possible. Back issues of  our informative and entertaining newsletters are available here. Below are videos, websites, books and papers addressing a wide variety of issues in biodiversity,…

Restoring Water Cycles toReverse Global Warming Conference Home   Program   Speakers    Sponsors/Partners Click here for videos and slideshows! Watch interviews with Michal Kravcik, Jon Griggs,Precious Phiri and Adam Sacks on Emerald Planet TV . . . . . . and one with Jim Laurie too! Even with elevated greenhouse gases in the atmosphere,water can cool the biosphere and…

Restoring Ecosystems to Reverse Global Warming, Washington, DC Promoting the power of nature to remove excess carbon from the atmosphere where it does untold damage, and restore it to the soils where it supports abundant life and helps reverse global warming. Source: http://bostongreenschools.org/ Saturday, September 26, 2015, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Moot Court RoomDavid A.…

Solutions – What You Can Do In your Home or Business: Restoring ecosystems stores carbon and reverses climate change. There are a number of approaches applicable to different ecosystems, and all of these methods can show remarkable results. Each of us has only limited time and resources to play our part, but we can also…

Our Mission Introduction Through education, policy and outreach, we promote the great potential of inexpensive, low-tech and powerful Nature solutions to the biodiversity and climate crises, and work to inspire urgent action and widespread implementation of many regenerative practices. Discussion Collaborating with organizations around the globe, we advocate for the restoration of soil, and of…