The Fox River: Our Hidden Gem

in 5 days

When

Wednesday, March 25th 2026 at 19:00 US/Central

Riverine Friend or Foe: Living with American Beavers

A Fox River Presentation Series

All Programs are Free

Organized By:
The Conservation Foundation’s Kendall County Advisory Council

The Conservation Foundation is collaborating with local partners to once again offer presentation series centered around the Fox River. This series highlights the wildlife diversity, unique attributes, and recreation opportunities provided by our most valuable natural asset, the Fox River. The benefits of living in and visiting the Fox River Valley are expansive, but also dependent on our human impact in these places. Join one or all of the presentations in the series to hear the speakers’ insights on the intricacies of our environment, ways to enjoy our local outdoor spaces, the cultural significance of the Fox River, and how you can care for our natural resources.

Riverine Friend or Foe: Living with American Beavers
By Rachel Siegel and Jeff Boland-Prom, Illinois Beaver Alliance

By keeping beavers on our Northern Illinois watersheds and managing conflicts nonlethally, we can receive the benefits of the ecosystem services they provide, including boosting biodiversity, building drought and flood resilience, and improving water quality by removing sediment and nutrients. Still, beaver damming can cause flooding that puts infrastructure and property at risk. Explore cost-effective, co-existence solutions with the Illinois Beaver Alliance, as well as the history of beavers in North American, beaver ecology and biology, and how these ecosystem engineers can help us build climate resilience.

FAQ Did you know?

Conservation Animals Education Sustainability Community

Where

902 Game Farm Road, Yorkville, IL, USA

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Organizer

The Conservation Foundation

Simply put, we save land and we save rivers, and we’ve been at it for more than 50 years. Founded in 1972, The Conservation Foundation is one of the region’s oldest and largest not-for-profit land and watershed conservation organizations dedicated to preserving and restoring open space, protecting rivers and watersheds and promoting stewardship of the environment in northeastern Illinois. We focus our work in DuPage, Kane, Kendall and Will Counties, but have also had the honor of working on significant projects in Cook, DeKalb, Grundy and LaSalle Counties.

FAQ

How can I support beaver conservation and coexistence in my community?

Support the cause by joining or donating to The Conservation Foundation and partnering groups like the Illinois Beaver Alliance, volunteering for river and watershed projects, reporting beaver observations to local conservation groups, and encouraging your municipality to adopt nonlethal management policies (e.g., funding for flow devices). Sharing educational materials and inviting speakers to neighborhood meetings are also highly effective.

What practical steps can I take on my property to reduce conflicts with beavers?

Start with nonlethal, proven methods: protect high‑value trees with hardware cloth or fencing; work with experts to install flow devices/pond levelers to control water levels; maintain and protect culverts with exclusion hardware; remove food attractants where feasible; and avoid destroying dams yourself — altering dams can worsen upstream or downstream impacts. If issues persist, contact the Illinois Beaver Alliance or a licensed nuisance‑wildlife professional for site‑specific guidance and to ensure compliance with local regulations.

What should I bring to the presentation to get the most useful, actionable advice?

Bring clear photos or short video of any beaver activity or problem areas on your property, rough measurements (elevation change, culvert diameter, tree sizes), a sketch or map of the site if possible, and a list of specific questions or concerns. That information lets speakers give tailored recommendations and follow‑up resources.

How can I be more effective at spreading coexistence practices after the event?

Act as a local ambassador: share what you learn on social media and neighborhood groups, host a follow‑up meeting or walking tour, lobby local officials for nonlethal management budgets, recruit neighbors for riparian restoration and invasive plant removal, and volunteer with citizen‑science or monitoring programs. Small, consistent community actions — installing tree protection, supporting flow devices, and advocating policy changes — scale up quickly.

Are there weather or safety precautions I should consider for field demonstrations or site visits?

Yes. If the presentation includes outdoor components or site visits, wear sturdy, waterproof footwear and dress in layers; bring rain gear if rain is forecast. Expect uneven or muddy ground near waterways and use caution around water edges. Do not attempt to approach or handle wild beavers or active dams; let qualified presenters or professionals lead any close inspections.

Did you know?

American beavers were heavily trapped across much of North America in the 1800s; their gradual recovery is a notable conservation success that shows how policy, restoration and local involvement can restore species and habitats.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service — https://www.fws.gov/species/american-beaver-castor-canadensis

Beaver-created ponds and wetlands often attract many more waterbirds and amphibians than channelized streams do — making river corridors better places for wildlife watching, nature education, and community stewardship projects.

National Audubon Society — https://www.audubon.org

Communities can use proven nonlethal tools called ‘flow devices’ or ‘beaver deceivers’ to protect roads and property while keeping beavers and the habitat they create — reducing conflict and the need for emergency removals.

National Wildlife Federation (coexistence resources) — https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/American-Beaver

Anyone can help science simply by reporting local beaver activity: observations submitted to citizen-science platforms like iNaturalist and eBird provide real-world data managers use to plan coexistence and restoration actions.

iNaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org; eBird (Cornell Lab) — https://ebird.org

Conservation groups increasingly use ‘beaver mimicry’ (structures modeled on beaver dams) to restore degraded streams and re-create wetland habitat at landscape scale — these nature-based approaches are becoming common tools in river recovery.

Beaver Restoration Guidebook and practitioner resources (restoration literature summaries) — e.g., Beaver Restoration Guidebook / practitioner pages

Attending local workshops and getting involved in river volunteer efforts helps communities adopt nonlethal, shared solutions for human–beaver conflicts — engaged neighborhoods report more durable, locally supported outcomes.

Defenders of Wildlife — Living with Wildlife / coexistence resources — https://defenders.org/wildlife-coexistence