Here are some recent news media articles concerning beavers. You can see our entire and growing list, a tribute to this wonderful keystone species, in our Beavers in the News page. If you come across a news item on beavers, please send us the link so that we can consider it for inclusion.

Beavers support freshwater conservation and ecosystem stability, Research Brief, University of Minnesota Duluth.

One of the most comprehensive studies conducted on beavers has conclusively demonstrated that beavers are essential for freshwater conservation and ecosystem stability by creating and preserving aquatic and wetland environments in Minnesota.

This new research from the Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) at the University of Minnesota Duluth was recently published in the journal Ecography.

This study suggests beavers, as ecosystem engineers, can be a biological tool that helps buffer ecosystems against disturbances and alterations.

Major new study shows role beavers could play in restoring Scotland's rivers, by University of Aberdeen.

Beavers could make an important contribution to improving the condition of Scotland's rivers, including helping to improve water quality and limiting the effects of drought.

The positive role they can play in water resource management, as well as in creating habitat, carbon sequestration and river restoration, is highlighted in a report produced by scientists at the University of Aberdeen and the James Hutton Institute.

They have collated evidence from 120 studies of beaver populations worldwide, as part of a large-scale review of their effects on streams and rivers.

Beaver Dams Help Wildfire-Ravaged Ecosystems Recover Long after Flames Subside, by Isobel Whitcomb.

Oregon endured the third-largest wildfire in its recorded history last summer.

After the local fire season ended in autumn, Bill Tinniswood, a fisheries biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, went out to survey the damage.

Tinniswood and his team stumbled upon something even more surprising, and somewhat encouraging: roughly five acres of pristine greenery amid an otherwise burned-out area along Dixon Creek, a tributary in the Sprague River watershed. At the center were roughly eight active beaver dams.

The dams and ponds appeared to have altered the hydrology of the landscape around them, Tinniswood says. The beavers had effectively built something like a water treatment plant that staved off fire-related contamination.

Wood ducks at Wild Goose Blind
Wood ducks have been a regular presence on the main pond, which is where the trail camera that documented this pair is located. Male wood ducks are strikingly patterned, with iridescent chestnut and green coloring, and ornate patterns on nearly every feather. Females have grayish-brown bodies, and a gray head with a white ring around each eye. Wood ducks are one of only a few ducks who have claws on their feet, allowing them to perch and nest in trees. They are also comfortable flying through woods, as their broad tail and short, broad wings help make them maneuverable. Nesting in tree cavities, often in wooded swamps and woodlands has earned them the name "wood ducks."

American kestrel with a meal
This female American kestrel has been spotted along the entry roads to the Refuge numerous times in the past few months. American kestrels are the smallest of three falcon species in North America – roughly the size and shape of a mourning dove. Although with many raptor species in North America, males and females look similar in coloring (and differ in size), kestrels differ in both size and plumage coloration between the sexes. Males have blue-gray wings, and the females have reddish-brown wings with black barring, and more spots on their bellies. Kestrels eat some small mammals, birds, and reptiles, though large insects such as grasshoppers, praying mantises, and beetles, are the preferred prey of these small raptors. The female pictured here is grasping a praying mantis.

Green heron spotted on trail camera
Our trail cameras document a lot of action throughout the Refuge that might otherwise go unwitnessed. As we continue to sort through the many photos they've produced, we are always excited to see what we might find. This time, at Otter Dam, a green heron perched on a large branch above the water before flying off. (You can spot him or her in the middle/left of the frame.) Green herons nest along swamps, marshes, lakes, ponds, and other wet habitats with trees and shrubs to provide secluded nest sites. They may even nest in dry woods and orchards, as long as there is water nearby for foraging. Although the Refuge provides ample habitat, we don't see them as regularly as some other species, so it is nice when we do. (*We can always use help sorting through photos; if you're interested, please reach out!)

Groups of geese aren't always gaggles
The name for a group of geese changes on the basis of their location. A group of geese on land is called a gaggle; in flight, the group becomes a skein, team, or wedge. The pattern made when birds fly in formation as a flock is called an echelon (the V and J structures being the most readily recognized). During much of the year Canada geese associate in large flocks, many of whom may be related to one another. They mate for life, and pairs remain together throughout the year. When a migrating goose is injured or sick, two other geese will fall out of formation to stay with the goose until he or she is able to fly again. When they head back out, they work together to catch up with the rest of the flock.

Hooded merganser sounds like pickerel frog
While sitting at the computer working on this very newsletter edition, our manager heard an interesting noise from the main pond. It sounded like a frog, though in the cold of winter, it couldn't be. Instead, a group of hooded mergansers was found swimming through the water, including the three pictured here. Hooded mergansers are usually silent, but they call during courtship and around nest sites. And it turns out, a courting male makes a deep, rolling sound like the call of a pickerel frog. Since courtship and pair formation usually takes place in November, perhaps these mergansers were seeking out a nesting site in our secluded woodland pond. Their site of choice, a tree cavity or hole.

Eastern towhee displays at Headquarters
This male eastern towhee was spotted around Headquarters among some branches. Similar to the spotted towhee of western North America, the two used to be considered the same species, the rufous-sided towhee. Male eastern towhees have bold black coloring above and on the breast, with warm rufous sides and white on the belly. Females have the same pattern, but are brown instead of black. These birds tend to be rather solitary, and they use a number of threat displays to tell other towhees they’re not welcome. Males may lift, spread, or droop one or both wings, fan their tails, or flick their tails to show off the white spots at the corners – as he may be doing in the second photo. Eastern towhees are not listed as threatened or endangered, but their numbers have been declining over the last few decades.

A potpourri of plant life at the Refuge Our diverse habitat provides for a great variety of plants. They range from those that live on the ground, thrive in swamps or in open water to those that make other plants their home. We continue to add to our growing list of photographs, including those of newly identified plants as well for those already in our records, but for which we did not have images. The photos here represent just a few examples of the diversity of species. You can see the full list of the hundreds of species seen at the Refuge in our Plants at the Refuge page on our Web site.

When children have opportunities to observe wildlife, a whole new world of wonder can open up. Let's see what it's like to observe the wildlife at UWR from a kid's perspective.

Robins by Sylvia Cudrak, age 8
Robins are gray or brown with a red-orange tummy. They lay four to seven blue-green eggs in a nest. Baby robins are called chicks. Robins eat worms, insects, berries, and other fruits. They hop around on the ground looking for food. Female and male robins look almost exactly the same. Some robins stay around in winter. Robins have about 2,900 feathers.

Simple ways to help the Refuge
Do you have a birthday coming up? Instead of buying presents for you, you could ask your friends to make a donation to the Refuge. Or, what about that stuff in your garage you have been meaning to get rid of through a yard sale? Why not pledge to give the proceeds to the Refuge, letting the public know that their purchase price will go to help wildlife and the environment.

Your unwanted vehicle, another way to help the Refuge
Do not forget that your used or unwanted vehicle can provide funds to us through the CARS vehicle donation program. CARS will accept any vehicle, running or non-running, and offer free towing throughout the United States. Once they have processed and sold the vehicle, they will donate a majority of the proceeds directly to the Refuge.

Call toll-free 855-500-RIDE (855.500.7433) or visit the Refuge CARS page at https://careasy.org/nonprofit/unexpected-wildlife-refuge to participate. Not only does this provide an easy way to be rid of an unwanted vehicle, you will also be helping wildlife at the same time.

Here are a few of the current issues where animals, whether living freely or imprisoned in circuses, zoos or other venues, can benefit from your help. We urge you to take action and share with others.

Urge Congress to Support the Migratory Bird Protection Act
Earlier this year, a federal rule dramatically weakened the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), our nation's most important bird protection law. The weakened law no longer held companies liable for preventable bird deaths from industrial hazards, giving them a free pass to kill birds. Thankfully, the Interior Department has taken steps to reverse the rollback of the law.

Now, Congress should pass the Migratory Bird Protection Act to safeguard the MBTA for the future.

Please urge your U.S. Representative to strengthen protections for birds by supporting the Migratory Bird Protection Act.
NOTE: Your letter will be sent directly to your U.S. Representative when you click "Send Message."

Sign and share the petition: Strengthen protections for birds by supporting the Migratory Bird Protection Act.

Birds Tell Us That We Need To Act On Climate
Birds are telling us we are in a climate emergency and it is wreaking havoc on our communities, our lands, and our waters. We're living on a warming planet, with growing inequities, where natural spaces, birds, and wildlife are disappearing at an alarming rate.

The survival of some of our most beloved and familiar birds, including the Common Loon, Rufous Hummingbird, and Wood Thrush, is in question. Nearly every species will see changes to its habitat, range, and migratory patterns.

Sign and share the petition: Call on elected leaders to create a brighter future for birds through durable and inclusive policies and climate solutions.

Unexpected Wildlife Refuge
Mailing address: P.O. Box 765, Newfield, New Jersey 08344-0765
Web site: http://unexpectedwildliferefuge.org/
E-mail: info@unexpectedwildliferefuge.org
Telephone: 856.697.3541