- 7 weeks ago
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00:00you know it's nice to be up in this high country sitting by a quiet pond like this
00:11just helps you find peace reconnects you with nature and when I'm up here in this
00:18gorgeous valley I used to call home I find a real serenity when I first came up here I'd
00:26sit around the campfire with old friends and we just sort of take it all in we'd howl at the moon
00:33look at the stars in the sky listen to the sound of the streams quiet language of mother earth
00:40you know we don't think about where water comes from do we rivers and creeks
00:49they're there our whole lives but they're always moving forming and flowing
00:55they carve paths through these mountains and they nourish every creature
01:01rivers are what brought Lewis and Clark into this area more than 200 years ago
01:08it was colder then it's getting hotter these days water is scarce in many parts of the west
01:17especially right here in Yellowstone
01:19for every living thing here we have to find ways to keep the rivers and streams flowing
01:28and scientists like Doug Smith and the folks at the Monteith shop feel that the answer may have been
01:35right here in front of us all along
01:42in July of 1805 the Lewis and Clark expedition reached the Yellowstone ecosystem
01:56Meriwether Lewis described the waterways that cut through the pristine lands as dotted with beaver dams
02:03succeeding each other in close order and extending far up streams
02:10he described the water as cold and pure
02:15the waters produced a luxuriant growth of weeds trees and grasses
02:24the Yellowstone region has changed dramatically since the time of Lewis and Clark
02:31the Yellowstone region has changed dramatically since the time of Lewis and Clark
02:39its rivers have been tamed its streams have dried up and the green islands that once dotted its waterways have disappeared
02:58but what once was could be again water is the key to life in the wild and one animal with a little help from modern day settlers could be a solution for the 21st century wild west
03:25when the snow begins falling and temperatures plunge below zero
03:47life slows down across the landscape
04:02but not even a months long freeze can stop the Yellowstone River from flowing
04:21the 692 mile long waterway is the largest undammed river in the lower 48 states
04:28and it feeds numerous streams and wetlands
04:36and during this time of year it provides a safe harbor to countless animals
04:42including one very special family of mammals
04:49including one very special family of mammals
04:57it's a full house in this beaver lodge
05:03mom and dad are supporting three yearlings and four newborns
05:10even in a well stocked lodge like this
05:14supplies and space are limited
05:18the beavers will hold out here until the spring thaw
05:24what their lodge lacks in creature comforts
05:27it more than makes up for in clever design
05:34there is a dry area a place for food storage
05:40and multiple entrances
05:47mom and dad have little time to rest
05:52the newborns are still nursing
05:56the yearlings however well
06:01toddlers will be toddlers
06:07they're always underfoot
06:12in a few months
06:14this family will emerge from their seclusion
06:18and that day will be an important one for the entire ecosystem
06:25the wetlands that support this habitat are their creation
06:30and they haven't finished their handiwork
06:37fresh water is the key to life for everything in Yellowstone
06:43here the headwaters of seven major rivers
06:47rush down from the continental divide
06:50and flow into America's west
06:53the lamar
06:55snake
06:56fire hole
06:57Jefferson
06:58Madison
07:00Gallatin
07:01and the largest
07:03the Yellowstone
07:05these same rivers feed over 150 lakes
07:15and 278 identified streams
07:20over time
07:21they've carved natural boundaries into the landscape
07:25but those boundaries didn't last
07:28when the waves of European settlers arrived
07:34they reshape the west
07:39bending the land and the water
07:45to their will
07:47creating a land of opportunity for some
07:53and limiting resources for others
07:58beavers were nearly wiped out
08:03the water
08:05the water
08:08few people know Yellowstone's wildlife like Doug Smith
08:12for 28 years
08:14he worked as a scientist at Yellowstone National Park
08:18people know me as the wolf guy
08:21but maybe the hidden secret to my life is
08:26I also studied beavers for 11 years
08:31his current work brings him back to his earlier passion
08:37so studying beavers for a good part of my career
08:40what I've learned about them is they're often overshadowed by more charismatic other critters
08:46and to study beavers
08:47and to study beavers
08:49it causes you to study history
08:55beavers drove the exploration and settlement of North America
09:03some people call it brown gold
09:06that's how important they were
09:08and so these fur trappers were infiltrating all the rivers and streams and mountains
09:15all across the North American continent
09:17looking for beavers
09:19the downside was
09:21we virtually wiped them out across the continent
09:25and so that changed ecosystems almost irrecoverably
09:31today beaver numbers are healthy
09:34but nowhere near where they were centuries ago
09:38and so that impact that they had was gone
09:42and it's just starting to come back now
09:46people realized what this critter this rodent did
09:52he continues research at the Jackson Fork ranch
09:57and he's keen to see how riparian habitats on the property are doing
10:02if Doug is lucky he'll find a beaver lodge and its inhabitants
10:07an active lodge means good things for the animals who call the area home
10:13and good things for the ecosystem
10:27when spring arrives the season's warmth draws out the ecosystem's color and energy
10:42the beavers feel the change in the air as well
10:46and after a long winter huddled indoors they are ready to get back to work
11:06even though they'd been well provisioned in their lodge
11:10with four nursing kits
11:12the mom needs more to keep up
11:15those kits will remain in the den for another one to two months
11:20suckling from their mother
11:22while slowly transitioning to solid food
11:30the older kits
11:31now in their second springtime
11:33will work alongside their parents
11:36helping with day-to-day tasks like foraging for food
11:41reinforcing the dam and lodge
11:44and protecting the family unit
11:55newly flowering trees are an irresistible treat for the beaver clan
12:00the willow trees down by the water side
12:07are some of the first to bloom in this ecosystem
12:10their male and female flowers appear separately early in the spring
12:16as catkins
12:18often before the leaves emerge
12:21willow trees thrive in and around the banks of Yellowstone's rivers and streams
12:27and they are a key to this beaver family's success
12:32after a few touch-ups this family's home is looking good
12:38they are ready for the hot dry summer ahead
12:42the meltwater trickling down from high in the mountains
12:57fills the local streams and ponds with fresh water
13:01this steady supply hydrates the ecosystem
13:05from flowers to towering trees
13:09from the tiniest insects
13:12to the largest mammals
13:24this moose is fine by the water
13:27he's not worried about getting his hooves wet
13:31in fact he's an excellent swimmer
13:34he can hold his breath underwater for up to a minute
13:38moose are the largest, tallest, and heaviest members of the deer family
13:46in North America
13:48bison are the only land mammal that outweighs him
13:52he's shedding his winter fur
13:54giving him a bedraggled look
13:57he seeks a favorite meal
14:00willow trees
14:02he achieved his grand stature by eating plants
14:06a lot of plants
14:09moose consume 40 to 60 pounds of food daily
14:13that's around 16,000 calories
14:16they can quickly clear a grove from top to bottom
14:21he'll feed on this willow
14:23as long as he feels cool
14:26and as long as he feels safe
14:28mountain lions, bears, and wolverines hunt moose
14:33but their most feared predator
14:37is the wolf
14:40a study in 2001
14:46showed that moose were naive about the threats they faced
14:50when they found themselves in more predator dense environments
14:54now what does that mean in a place like Yellowstone
14:58where wolves were reintroduced within just the last 30 years
15:03before the wolves return
15:05moose and other ungulates
15:08would clear entire groves of trees
15:11but now that wolves have returned to their habitat
15:18moose have been forced to change their habits
15:22and as a result
15:25no longer overgraze valuable riparian habitats
15:31moose populations are lower than they should be in Yellowstone
15:36factors like the 1988 wildfires
15:40and increasing temperatures
15:42have impacted their numbers
15:44but one team of scientists
15:47scientists think they can help moose bounce back
15:50by supporting one of the animal's key allies
15:56Kevin Monteith from the University of Wyoming
15:59is very familiar with Yellowstone's valleys and waterways
16:04his research group The Monteith Shop
16:08studies various animals that call this landscape home
16:12so a few yards
16:13probably anywhere in here
16:14she should have bedded down this morning
16:16today his research has led him to this wetland habitat
16:21let's scope around and see if we can find her bedside
16:23okay we had her here at three
16:25at three a.m.
16:26yep
16:27with graduate student Macy Jacobson
16:29they're looking for a moose resting spot
16:32something unique about moose
16:34compared with most other big critters like themselves
16:37is they're very large have dark pelage
16:40and they lack any ability to sweat
16:42when we take that and consider these riparian complex
16:45riparian complexes and the affinity for moose to be present within them
16:49that brought us to the place where we began to think about
16:52what role beavers may play within these riparian communities
16:55because of how they alter the environments that they live in
16:59and they increase water retention
17:01and potentially as a consequence of the dams that they build
17:04and the backfilling in the water that it creates in various areas
17:08yields much greater opportunity and places for moose to be able to bed down
17:13and seek that thermal refuge
17:16it may sound like an unusual pairing
17:19a massive moose alongside a swimming rodent
17:23but that little rodent can do wonders for the moose's survival
17:29we already know that they're ecosystem engineers
17:32we know they make great change in the environments they live in
17:35but of what change that they are causing
17:39what does it mean for moose?
17:42and what does it mean in particular for moose food
17:44and their thermal environment?
17:46Kevin and his team have devised a clever way to track
17:50how moose interact with riparian habitats
17:55so the moose we're working with are fitted with GPS collars
18:00that send us hourly locations multiple times a day
18:05from those hourly GPS locations
18:07it allows us to know where the animals are
18:10what they're doing
18:11but then also be able to identify places on the landscape
18:14that they're spending more time
18:17the data revealed by the collars give scientists
18:21a one-of-a-kind glimpse into a moose's life
18:25our collars that these moose are wearing
18:28are fit with cameras as well
18:30the collar is activated once the animal gives birth
18:33and then from the time they give birth
18:35at least up until wintertime
18:37what we're getting are basically 15 second clips
18:40of what the animal is doing
18:42in conjunction with each hourly location
18:45during daylight hours
18:47the power of that is
18:48it yields some pretty fascinating footage
18:50for us to be able to peer into animal behavior
18:53and what they're doing
18:54but in addition to that
18:55it gets us a sense of their feeding patterns
18:58the research measures the impact
19:00of a healthy wetland habitat for beavers and moose
19:05you might think about a drain
19:07as just a focused drainage point
19:09where the water only runs down through it
19:11and the beaver dams help back up that water
19:13and create more music areas
19:15that are substantial thermal refuge for moose
19:18it stands to reason
19:20that an animal built to survive
19:22Yellowstone's winter
19:24would struggle to stay cool
19:26in even hotter summers
19:28but there is more to the story
19:30there's fresh droppings right here
19:31this is definitely from her this morning
19:34there's some browse leaders here
19:37this was right in her area
19:38where we're searching for a bed
19:39we're not coming up with a bed site
19:41so probably just down here feeding
19:43it didn't actually bed down this morning
19:44I think with this
19:45it's necessary to create some momentum
19:47behind not only what we can do for moose
19:49but how we may be able to use a critter
19:51that isn't appreciated to the level that
19:53I don't know maybe they should be
19:55Kevin and Macy will study this habitat
19:57for another few years
19:59the information they gather
20:01will help not only scientists
20:03but also the community at large
20:06we're working with landowners
20:09who have recently realized
20:11the potential for beaver
20:13to improve the habitat on this property
20:16not just for moose
20:17but for fish, birds, their livestock
20:20I think diving into the
20:22the human dimension side of it
20:24and learning how people are living
20:26alongside them successfully
20:28so that we can implement that broadly
20:31across the landscape
20:32so that we can continue to recover the species
20:35while the moose continue grazing
20:49the beavers build up their lodge
20:52and gather provisions
20:54the dam they built is strong
20:59and has created a large pool behind it
21:02a new aquatic habitat
21:05a beaver pond like this
21:08quickly becomes the go-to spot
21:11for local fauna
21:12land creatures come to drink
21:16fish multiply in its tangled shallows
21:22insects are drawn to the moisture
21:26while birds discover a new feeding area
21:30stocked with fish and bugs
21:33they like to eat
21:35and these birds aren't alone
21:38raptors, waterfowl
21:41over 200 species of birds in all
21:4470% of them depend on the area's
21:47waterways for survival
21:49one bird in particular appreciates the efforts of the beaver
22:03the trumpeter swan
22:07the majestic gliders are renowned for their beauty
22:12beauty and fidelity
22:15and of course their unmistakable call
22:18that inspired their name
22:20like all trumpeter swans
22:26this pair will mate for life
22:29but unlike others
22:34these swans will pass up a chance to migrate
22:37staying here in Yellowstone year-round
22:40they are highly adaptable
22:46tolerating both the intense cold
22:49and heat of Yellowstone's seasons
22:52this swan and his mate have already bonded
22:56within the next few months
22:59they will establish a nest
23:01and begin caring for their eggs
23:04these birds are the largest waterfowl in North America
23:08but that doesn't mean they are safe from predators
23:13they need a home that will comfort and protect them
23:21enter the beaver
23:25beaver dams are the ideal spot for a trumpeter swan nest
23:30they are tucked away near forest
23:33and built solid
23:34offering protection from predators
23:37more beaver dams
23:39offer much needed nesting spots for swans
23:42at a time when climate change
23:44threatens other ideal locations
23:47now that they have found their perfect home in the wild
23:52all that is left to do
23:55is fill it with a few trumpeting cygnets
23:59over at the Jackson Fork ranch
24:08Doug Smith has his eyes on local riparian habitat
24:14you can see the influence of the water impoundment
24:18so this is just really a vibrant area
24:21I'm just going to get down here to take a closer look at what's going on
24:25well this is a classic beaver impoundment
24:37some call them dams
24:40Lewis and Clark
24:42especially Meriwether Lewis
24:46marveled at their construction
24:48we've got mud sticks rocks
24:53they'll use whatever they can to make these dams
24:57without the beavers
24:59this little stream valley is a different world
25:03it raises the water table
25:05they slow it down
25:07they impound it so it spreads out
25:10and these willows all the hydrologists I know talk about these willows
25:15their feet are in the water
25:17and they spread out much more when the beavers are here
25:22so you get a flood plain
25:24and that flood plain is rich in nutrients in the soil
25:29because of beavers impoundment over time
25:31it grows vegetation which grows wildlife
25:35both birds, mammals, fishes, reptiles, amphibians
25:39it just transforms this site
25:42into a completely different system
25:45when you've got this
25:47beavers
26:01you know it's funny
26:02I taught my kids how to fish in the same pond
26:06I think they just like splashing around in the water
26:09more than anything
26:12we take it for granted
26:14but water
26:15it really is the essence of all life
26:18and that includes the Yellowstone ecosystem
26:21this area just wouldn't be the same without its waterways
26:25and as the coming of summer starts to snow melt
26:29that means the rivers and lakes are running high
26:31and for one of the world's most industrious herbivores
26:35it's the start of one of the busiest time of the year
26:39the beaver clan is enjoying the fruits of the summer
27:00trees are plentiful
27:06there is an abundance of food to feed on
27:11beavers are herbivores
27:21during the spring and summer months
27:25they prefer leaves, grasses, water lilies, roots, rushes, and other plant life
27:34but as winter nears
27:38their tastes turn to tree bark
27:41the key to managing this varied diet lies in the beaver's gut
27:47a complex microbiome inside its digestive system
27:53can ferment wood extracting nourishment
27:56the mother beaver has successfully weaned her pups
28:03they are now old enough to explore their aquatic garden
28:11all by themselves
28:13the father has gone out for some lumber
28:20the roof is leaking
28:23meaning their dry space is not quite as dry as it needs to be
28:30and then there are the tunnels
28:34never ending always fixing the tunnels
28:39until he gets these repairs done
28:42they'll face risk to their pantry and safety
28:48the tunnels branch out from the main quarters
28:51and offer multiple gateways into the lodge
28:55plus easy escape routes from predators
28:59but these corridors also serve a larger purpose for the ecosystem
29:06the tunnel broadens the dam's footprint
29:10which allows the pooled water to seep deeper into the ground
29:15this fills the water table
29:18and preserves water longer into the season
29:23beaver lodges, dams, and tunnels
29:27have the power to manage both floods and droughts
29:31the water preserved by beaver dams is key to riparian habitat growth
29:39and sustaining the ecosystem
29:44by the end of the 19th century
29:46the beaver population had been decimated across the western states
29:52their numbers have increased
29:55but man has built on ideal beaver habitat
30:00the geological need for their engineering never stopped
30:05scientists realized that more dams could help prevent drought
30:17the Montana Conservation Corps works closely with other non-profits
30:22and government agencies to restore habitats across the state
30:27including riparian areas
30:30I think it's really hard to look at a landscape and say
30:34this is what it used to look like a hundred years ago
30:36but there's evidence and there's signs
30:38there were beaver in the prairie
30:40and there still are
30:41but more than likely there was more
30:43and there's been more and more evidence that shows that
30:45really old dams
30:47lots of old growth cottonwood
30:49where you can just tell it used to be a very complex
30:52braided wet system with a wide valley
30:56today an MCC team is just outside Lewistown, Montana
31:02working on a long-term restoration project
31:06the whole purpose is to look at a system
31:09pick out some areas that might need our assistance
31:12inside stream banks high erosion
31:15disconnected from the flood plain narrow streams
31:18it just seems out of funk and cannot restore itself
31:22or manages energy appropriately
31:24and BDAs or beaver dam analogs
31:26they're definitely the most popular one
31:28as they mimic natural beaver dams
31:31when we build the beaver dam analogs
31:33they're channel spanning structures
31:35so at the time that we built them
31:37it was from one end of the channel to the other
31:40so as you look at that one right there
31:42you can see where the original channel used to be
31:44indicated by our posts
31:45but this dam has done a really good job
31:47of widening the stream
31:49it's slowed things down
31:51it's not very narrow and fast moving anymore
31:53it's spread out
31:55and one thing you'll see is a ton of sediment
31:57just deposited
31:58so lots of soil deposition happening
32:00which is what we want
32:02their goal?
32:03to create a healthier landscape
32:06that benefits both humans
32:08and the wild throughout the state
32:11and the project is already seeing results
32:14and in this reach specifically
32:17it was chosen because of the willow patch
32:20that is over there
32:21so we knew that we wanted to try and enhance
32:23what was already there with the willows
32:25that was last summer
32:26so now we're on year two of implementation
32:29and it didn't even take a year for a beaver to move in
32:32so right now within this system
32:34Buffalo Creek is on this ranch for seven miles
32:37and then it flows into state land
32:39and on state land there's a whole colony of beavers
32:42and I don't think any of us really anticipated
32:44that it would happen that fast
32:46from more than likely a beaver from that colony
32:48to swim up here and establish where we have about
32:51twenty or so of our BDA structures
32:53if they are successful
32:55the work of these conservationists
32:57will one day give way to Yellowstone's original landscape engineers
33:03beavers whose work in turn will refresh and feed populations of willow, moose and waterfowl
33:14perhaps bringing us closer to the vibrant resilient landscape
33:20described by Lewis and Clark more than two centuries ago
33:24as summer nears its end
33:42water becomes increasingly precious
33:45the snow melt is all but gone
33:48until the next snowfall
33:51the ecosystem must be supported by the rivers and creeks alone
33:56for most ungulates
33:59the decreasing temperatures are a signal to begin a long annual migration
34:05but not the moose
34:18they prefer to stay close to the river
34:25close to the willow trees and other familiar food sources
34:30this moose will likely seek a mate in the coming months
34:35the question will be whether he has the strength to take on older more powerful bulls
34:49but mating is a far cry from his present concerns
34:54eating and staying cool
34:58and no place is better at cooling a hungry moose
35:03than a beaver pond
35:05so I want to check this beaver pond out
35:15there's a lodge over there
35:20so a beaver family is living here
35:35that's usually five, six, seven individuals
35:41five, six, seven individuals
35:52so this beaver pond here
35:54is kind of a classic example
35:57of how beavers impact the hydrology
36:00of this entire valley
36:02so if they weren't backing up this water
36:05this water
36:06this water just be lost downstream
36:08and into the river
36:10and gone
36:11the beavers come through
36:13they occupy this spot
36:16they dam it
36:17they pond it
36:18they preserve the water
36:20and raise the water below
36:24for many things to benefit
36:26this family
36:27this family
36:28the young
36:29are going to leave
36:30and they're going to go over that hill
36:32and they're going to do this over there
36:34and so this is multiplied
36:37over and over and over
36:39and so this becomes a different valley
36:42with these beavers
36:43fresh cuttings
36:54there's an entrance right here
36:57so a tunnel goes in the lodge
36:59and up into it
37:01there's usually a platform inside
37:03so they're out of the water
37:05very important in the winter
37:07so they can get in
37:08there's another entrance over there
37:11fresh cut stick
37:14this hasn't been barked
37:16because in the summer
37:19they're not going to eat bark
37:21they're going to eat the leaves
37:23the succulent vegetation
37:25they'll go up onto shore
37:27the herbaceous succulent stuff
37:29they'll graze just like a
37:31a deer or an elk will
37:36so they come in
37:38in their quiet unassuming way
37:40and everything explodes
37:43and becomes healthier
37:45a more intact ecosystem
37:48and it's taken hundreds of years
37:51because the devastation
37:52the fur trade inflicted
37:54upon the beaver population
37:56was that severe
37:59and so now this unsung rodent
38:03is getting the credit
38:04that they deserve
38:05they do all the work
38:07it really is a remarkable story
38:10almost an ecological miracle
38:13with winter nearing the animals of the yellowstone region turned their focus to surviving the coming cold
38:20ungulates like elk bison and moose work to gain as much weight as possible
38:33some of the waterfowl have already begun their migration to warmer environments
38:48the beaver family remains as busy as ever
38:58with their summer renovations complete
39:01they've turned their attention back to stocking their larder
39:05with their tunnels reinforced
39:09and their storage pockets packed with food
39:12the family is ready to show their young kids
39:16what it takes to survive a yellowstone winter
39:20but this coming season
39:24the family will have three fewer mouths to feed
39:27the yearlings will leave the lodge intent on establishing homes of their own
39:37if life goes to plan
39:43they will find mates
39:46and they will build dams
39:48that will be much more
39:50than just a home
39:52they will support the habitat
39:58and the entire yellowstone ecosystem
40:03this time of day it always seems to conjure up old memories
40:17old friends
40:18childhood
40:19dreams about life
40:22it's all right here
40:25you feel a real energy in country like this
40:28and the waterways here are part of that energy
40:32the source of all life
40:35here in yellowstone
40:38the rivers and creeks are the central nervous system
40:41of an entire multi-state ecosystem
40:44they are what makes this habitat sustainable
40:48for all of the life here
40:50every human
40:51every animal
40:54so long as we keep these waters flowing
40:57the way nature intended
40:59we can help protect this truly wonderful environment
41:14the yellowstone ecosystem
41:15a rugged iconic one of a kind place
41:18but this landscape is under threat
41:20the fight is on to protect it
41:23find out more at saving yellowstone dot org
41:27the fort
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