For Minnesotans, late summer is defined by beloved traditions like cabin getaways and sampling the latest delicacies at the State Fair. But this final stretch of warm weather also typically ushers in a darker reality — the peak of wildfire season. 

As communities look for strategies to battle increasingly volatile blazes, the University of Minnesota’s Emily Fairfax, PhD, is raising awareness of the firefighting abilities of the humble beaver.

A self-described “beaver-dam enthusiast" and McKnight Land Grant Professor in the College of Liberal Arts’ Department of Geography, Environment and Society, Fairfax is on a mission to show how beaver-created wetlands help to resist wildfires and droughts. But like many academics, she faces the challenge of making her complex ecohydrology research accessible to the public.

“It’s something a lot of people don’t get to see,” Fairfax says, describing the firefighting powers of the oft-misunderstood rodent. “We don’t actually go stand around in wildfires and look at beaver ponds as the flames approach. But you can only get so far with words.”

To bridge the gap, the former Girl Scout pulled out a bucket of crafting supplies and got to work, creating a charming, 45-second stop-motion video that illustrates — in a clever, highly visual way — exactly how beaver wetlands ward off wildfires and protect local wildlife.

“It’s the single best tool I’ve ever had for explaining my research,” says Fairfax. “It’s not complicated … you just need to see it.”

The landscape sponge

Beaver-created wetlands are remarkably effective at resisting wildfires because they act like massive natural sponges. By building dams, beavers slow the flow of water, allowing it to seep into the surrounding soil. This creates a self-irrigated system that keeps plants lush and hydrated.

“You don’t start a campfire with wet sticks, and that’s what’s in the beaver wetland,” says Fairfax. “So you have this wave of char and flame come across the landscape — as soon as it hits the edge of the beaver wetland, it stops.”

While Fairfax initially studied this phenomenon in the American West, Minnesota is seeing its own vulnerabilities skyrocket, as evidenced by the Jenkins Creek, Camp House and Munger Shaw wildfires in recent years and this summer’s wildfires in northeastern Minnesota.

“We could have the same future as the West … or we could learn from that, look at our own landscapes, and get a step ahead,” she says. “We have more beavers than they do. Let’s conserve them where they can do that exact same firefighting work.”

‘There’s a beaver for that’

Wildfire defense is just one item on a beaver’s resume. Fairfax points out that their activities promote simultaneous resistance to floods and droughts, making them excellent allies in environmental protection.

“The joke in the beaver world is, ‘If you have a problem, there’s a beaver for that,’” says Fairfax.

Promoting clean water is another valuable beaver benefit. Citing research showing that beaver wetlands can sequester heavy metal contamination, Fairfax notes how vital these animals could be for Minnesota’s environmental future.

“When we think about the future of mining in Minnesota and the ecosystems we don’t want to be affected by mine drainage, conserving beaver populations is a critical line of defense to keep the Boundary Waters and our own drinking water clean,” she says. “There are other things we can do to control the input of these toxins into our water, but we might as well have a natural ally in the fight.”

Fueling science in real time

Because environmental shifts can happen rapidly, Fairfax’s field research tends to be quite time-sensitive. Traditional government grant applications can take months — sometimes more than a year — to clear. That’s where private philanthropy can make an invaluable impact.

“Philanthropy has let us be really nimble,” Fairfax says. “It lets us see a disaster and get in there right afterward to understand what happened before regrowth begins and environmental processes start to erase the signature.”

A recent grant from the Sally Judith McLellan Wildlife Foundation has been a game-changer for Fairfax’s lab. This targeted funding allows her team to study exactly which local wildlife species seek refuge in beaver ponds during wildfires, making her landscape data deeply specific to biodiversity conservation.

Climate hope collaborators 

Ultimately, Fairfax believes humans have a lot to learn from beavers, especially when it comes to protecting the land they inhabit while maintaining a healthy “work-life balance.”  

Through her lab’s game cameras, Fairfax sees firsthand that while beavers are relentless workers, they aren’t completely consumed by the grind.

“I have footage of beavers wrestling with each other, grooming each other, getting the ‘zoomies’ and chasing each other around the dam, and snuggling,” Fairfax says. “They’re doing all of this incredibly difficult, time-intensive work, and they’re also maintaining happiness. Their family is safe.”

She notes that climate work can feel intimidating because the challenges are vast, but beavers offer a roadmap: they manage what’s in their control and look for help with the rest.

“Every day beavers make an effort to maintain their wetlands, to expand it, to patch it, to fix it,” says Fairfax. “Of course, there will be setbacks — the dam is going to leak. But that doesn't mean [their efforts were] a failure. It just means there’s more work to do.”