Birds & Beavers
PÁGINA EN ESPAÑOL
Birds & Beavers is a bilingual community science project exploring the connections between beaver activity and bird habitat. This project is centered around the Jordan River, with educational components held at Tracy Aviary’s Jordan River Nature Center. The project is made possible by our partners at the Jordan River Commission, Utah’s Hogle Zoo, and Salt Lake City Public Lands: Trails and Natural Lands.
Phase 1: Reporting
We want YOU to report beaver activity! We need your help to find trees affected by beavers. When you’re along the Jordan River and see gnawed or fallen trees, text a photo to the Conservation Science Program at 801-381-6349 or submit photos to our online form. Your photos help us locate trees and plan which areas to monitor.
What does beaver activity look like?
Map of Activity
More points will be added to this map as people submit photos and tree locations.
Beavers, Trees, and Plant IDs
Beavers eat tree bark and cambium (the softer growing tissue under the bark of trees). Along the Jordan River, they seem to prefer soft-wooded trees like Cottonwoods. Here are the common species you might see:
Russian Olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia)
Fremont Cottonwood (Populus fremontii)
Boxelder (Acer negundo)
Learn more about trees in Utah
- Tree Utah Tree Guide: Planting trees? Learn which native trees are best
- USU’s Tree Identification Resources
- USU’s TreeBrowser: Search for info about 245 tree species found in Utah and the Intermountain West
Phase 2: Monitoring
Once we collect enough photo points of affected trees, we will assess which ones need to be protected or monitored. Certain species, like native Cottonwood trees, need to be protected from too much beaver munching! We also want to know how long beavers stay at fallen trees before moving on to new ones. Could beaver behavior be influenced by how quickly dead trees are removed from the river?
Phase 3: Education
We want to share what we discover! Future activities may include Family Beaver Walks, social media Beaver Reports, Nature Journal Observations, and new signage at the Jordan River Nature Center for you to explore. Take our survey and tell us what programs you would like to see.
This project is made possible by our partners:
