Beaver Brigade - 2025

We attended the Beaver Brigade festival / conference in San Luis Obispo. Here are the videos we recorded of the presenters (posted with permission). The Occidental Arts & Ecology Center (OAEC) which is developing the California Beaver Coexistence Program (funded by the California Department of Fish & Wildlife) was distributing a brochure. The OAEC brochure has QR code links to some very useful resources:(Page 1, Page 2)

Firefox currently has a bug that prevents it from playing MP4 video files without using flashplayer, so I have uploaded the videos in both MP4 and OGV formats to ensure there is a format compatible with your web browser of choice.

Molly Alves (MP4, OGV)

Molly Alves managed the Tulalip Beaver Project in Washington State for about a decade before joining the California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW) as the new Beaver Restoration Program Supervisor. She shared with us about the new California policies being implemented regarding Beaver translocation, and Beaver coexistence devices. For more information see the CDFW website & the OAEC website.

Sophia Marquez (MP4, OGV)

Sophia Marquez, Co-Founder of the SLO Prescribed Burn Association, talked about cultural prescribed burning as a restoration tool.

Grant Johnson (MP4, OGV)

Grant Johnson talked about using Holistic Management animal grazing methods being used as a restoration tool as opposed to conventional grazing which drives desertification. Grant is with Bunchgrass Grazing a contract grazing company servicing San Luis Obispo County.

Cooper Lienhart (MP4, OGV)

Cooper Lienhart, President and Founder of Nature's Engineers, talked about the work they do to help landowners prepare habitat for successful Beaver translocation onto their land.