12:00 PM, Sunday, June 23, 2024 PST -First United Methodist Church of Seattle 180 Denny Way Seattle,WA
Our warming climate is resulting in summers with dry creeks, wildfires, famines, fish die-outs… What do we do? LEAVE IT TO BEAVERS!! This movie is a fascinating tale (tail?) of beavers in North America – their history, their near extinction, and their current comeback. Our beaver friends can help us with our environmental challenges. First Church Seattle invites you to learn more about beavers and all the ways they can help us at our upcoming family friendly, hybrid event on Sunday, June 23rd! We will be screening the PBS short version (about 10 minutes). Bring the kids and tell your friends. We’ll provide lunch for the usual $5 donation. A Zoom link will also be available upon registration.
A growing number of scientists, conservationists, and grass-roots environmentalists regard beavers as overlooked tools when it comes to reversing disastrous effects of global climate change and world-wide water shortages. Once hunted as pests or for their fur, these industrious rodents are seen here in a new light through the eyes of this novel assembly of beaver enthusiasts and beaver “employers” who reveal the ways in which the presence of beavers can transform and revive landscapes. As brilliant hydro-engineers, beavers are being recruited to accomplish everything from re-establishing water sources in bone-dry deserts to supporting whole communities of wildlife drawn to the revitalizing aquatic ecosystems their ponds provide.
Guest Speaker: April Rhodes, Project Manager of Beavers Northwest, will give a short presentation about our local beavers and the work that her organization does. She’ll also bring some beaver artifacts. After graduating from Seattle University, she went into national and public service with the Washington Conservation Corps, where she spent five years as a restoration practitioner installing native plants, removing invasive weeds, and managing dynamic projects and teams. With a background in restoring and protecting salmon habitat, April is extremely passionate about enhancing the health and resilience of our aquatic ecosystems through beaver coexistence strategies.