Beaver Tales: Stories
from the community
Beaver Tales is the storytelling heart of Castorcene: A Digital Wetland. Here, you’ll find a mix of scientific research, published essays, community-submitted stories, and project updates, all exploring the work, wonder, and wildness of beaver-driven landscapes.
Have a question, idea, or story to share? We’d love to hear from you. Use the form to connect with The digital wetland team and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can!
The Vital role of beavers in Galloway Creek's Ecosystem
In October 2023, beaver built a dam in Galloway Creek on Oakland University's campus, beneath a footbridge along a walking trail. These are not the first beaver to build a home on Oakland's campus, but this is the first time our university has sought alternatives to removing the beaver. We welcome you to take a deeper look at Galloway Creek's ecosystem!
Ecosystem
Engineers
Beavers build dams that create wetlands, benefiting countless species and improving water systems.
Biodiversity Boosters
Their presence fosters diverse plant and animal life, creating a thriving, balanced ecosystem.
Water Wizards
Slowing the water behind
a dam helps purify water, trapping sediment and removing toxins.
Our Project Values
Our guiding principles shape how we think, create, and collaborate. They ground our work in care, challenge harmful systems, and open space for reimagining how humans relate to the living world through ecology, culture, and community.
Coexistence Amidst More-Than-Human Relations
Ecological Identities Beyond Extraction
Cultivating Regenerative Futures
Promoting Ecocultural Imaginaries
Imagining The Castorcene
We invite you to envision what it would be like to rewater the land with the help of beaver, to picture them back on the landscape after their near extinction in the 19th century, and to celebrate the benefits that their leaky dams and wetlands provide. We invite you to, in other words, imagine the Castorcene, a world made more biodiverse and more resistant to the climate crisis, with the aid of beaver.
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