When I first heard about BeaverFest, I have to admit, I was curious, and oblivious. A festival about beavers… in Arizona? Somehow, I found myself right in the middle of it.
As a new apprentice at Watershed Management Group, I was stepping into an unfamiliar world of water, habitat, restoration, and, of course, beavers. I knew very little about these animals when I started in September. One of them, however, had a face and a name: Petunia. She introduced me to an unexpected path of knowledge.
I first started learning about beavers when I read Nadira Mitchell’s article in the Watershed newsletter. Her story about the knowledge exchange on the Babocomari River showed me how seeing a thriving beaver pond can change people’s understanding of what is possible in our desert landscape.
Just a couple of weeks after reading Nadira’s article, September 22 arrived, and I was pumped to be part of the event. It was the first time I wore my blue long-sleeved “Release the Beavers” shirt, and I wore it with pride. Earlier, during a workshop, we had heard the phrase “Be the Beaver” and were asked what it meant to us. Someone answered, “To be someone that helps create something for the benefit of others.” I carried that motto with me throughout the evening.
Everyone was finishing setup and preparing for the event. At the Zero Waste station, Liam was explaining the dishwashing process to us newcomers. Paige and Avery were there, smiling and saying, “We got this. This will be fun.” Their energy was contagious.
I made my way to the Donation and Merchandise Table, where I spent much of the evening. Nearby, Tesha, Jacob, Catherine, and Liz prepared a bright pink prickly pear tepache, iced tea, and a “Dam Fine Cocktail” with DelBac whiskey.
The donation table gave me the privilege of talking to many people. Some came to pick up a gift, make a much-appreciated donation, or buy a raffle ticket. Thanks to everyone who sponsored the event!
I also enjoyed connecting with Ileana, our bookkeeper. She speaks Spanish, too, so I was especially happy we could speak it together throughout the evening. She enjoyed seeing people having a good time and observed that it can be hard nowadays to find experiences where people gather together, “especially when you are with strangers, but at the event, people didn’t feel like complete strangers.”
And that was so true: beavers united us.
As the evening went on, I noticed how differently people came to BeaverFest. Some already knew about beavers and shared stories of encounters in other states. Others had learned about them through Watershed’s Beaver Survey, in which staff and volunteers walk along and in the San Pedro River looking for signs of beavers.
Guests Brian and Michael made the event shine even more. They had discovered Watershed through its YouTube channel. Michael, who enjoys nature and canoeing, had told Brian about BeaverFest. They came because they wanted to join the Beaver Survey and were ecstatic to learn it was free and open to the public. Their eyes lit up as they chatted and shared photos from their wilderness adventures. I truly hope to see them at our next Beaver Survey on November 14.
Charles, one of the professional puppeteers who participated, shared one of his favorite lines from the show.
“Their patient wisdom I long to glean.
How they bring so much life from a tiny stream.”
Maybe that is what BeaverFest was really teaching us. It wasn’t only about learning facts about beavers. It was about noticing what happens when we pay attention to the life around us and share that curiosity.
And I think that is where change begins.
I began this story thinking I was simply writing about a festival celebrating beavers. I leave it realizing that BeaverFest was about much more.
It was about water, people, sharing knowledge, and beginning to understand the place I am now part of.
Sometimes the most meaningful change happens quietly, one drop of water, one restored habitat, one curious person at a time.If you have a curious spirit and would love to learn more about how we can “be the beaver,” join us for our upcoming surveys in November and December! We will be hiking along the San Pedro River looking for signs of beavers at work.
Ready to explore the river and discover what Petunia’s friends have been up to? Sign up here.