Join us in our first symbolic animal adoption program and adopt yours today!
You can play a direct role in BEEC’s work to support beavers, as well as the biodiversity that these marvelous animals trail in their wake. All Symbolic Adoptions receive a custom BEEC Beaver Patch (iron-on) and an adoption certificate.* The minimum donation to receive a patch and certificate is $25. For donations over $200, you will have an opportunity to meet one of BEEC’s rehabilitated beavers in her natural environment. A new animal will be added to this project each year. Each patch will be designed by a different local artist.
This year’s patch was designed by Felipe Delfino
Artist’s Statement
The work I make is deeply rooted in my passion for perceiving the natural world and exploring the experiences that it holds. I am fascinated by the complexities of nature, the interplay between humanity and the environment, and the ways in which we can learn from the natural world. Through my art, I strive to convey the beauty and intricacy of nature, as well as the urgent need to protect it. Growing up in the rural heart of Brazil, I was surrounded by nature, and this experience has had a profound influence on my work. I am fascinated by the way in which everything in nature is connected, and I strive to convey this interconnectedness in my art. Through my intricate, patience-driven drawings, I seek to capture a possible essence of nature and to inspire others to appreciate and protect it. I can be found @felipefdelfino on Instagram.
Adopt A Beaver Here
Meet Bebryx, one of BEEC’s ambassador beavers.
Why Beavers?
As climate change brings drought, fires, and floods, holding cooling water on the land and slowing its journey to the sea brings many benefits. That’s what beavers do.
Beavers are built for the water, and they can’t live without it. That is why they are so dedicated to building dams to keep it in place. As beavers move upstream and downstream creating new ponds, the areas they leave behind become meadows and shrub lands. These are important ecosystems for many plants and animals, from moose to mink. Beavers are a “keystone” species—essential for other species to thrive. By holding water and trapping silt, beavers and their wetlands are one of our greatest allies in reducing the impacts of climate change and slowing the loss of biodiversity.
However, when beavers’ plans conflict with peoples’, they can cause a lot of trouble. They clog culverts, cut down favorite trees, and flood fields and cropland. At many sites that are attractive to beavers, they are killed whenever they arrive. These sites become death traps and leave neighboring areas devoid of ponds and wetlands.
We need your help – because beavers are so important, BEEC promotes solutions that work for people and beavers.
Adopt A Beaver Here
BEEC’s role:
Beavers have been a feature of BEEC programming for over fifteen years—that is when BEEC naturalist Patti Smith began studying the beaver colony near her home. Since then:
- Hundreds of people have been introduced to beavers in the field.
- Many college, school, and community groups have enjoyed BEEC presentations on beavers.
- Readers of the Brattleboro Reformer have followed the lives of the beavers in Patti’s monthly column, A View from Heifer Hill.
- BEEC has become a resource for people looking for humane ways to solve beaver conflicts.
- BEEC is working with the towns of Halifax and Westminster to solve beaver conflicts and build support for beavers’ work.
How you can help: Adopt a Beaver!
Our goal is to raise awareness of the value of beavers and of the ways to solve problems that allow beavers to remain on site, creating ponds and wetlands. By adopting a beaver you become a vital part of our mission to protect and preserve these magnificent creatures and their habitats.
By participating in this symbolic adoption program, you play a direct role in BEEC’s conservation and protection efforts for beavers and contribute to the well-being of the natural world.
Adopt A Beaver Here
Pumpkin, the orphaned beaver raised by BEEC’s Patti Smith, enjoys one of his first days as a free beaver.