Who We Are
Give a Dam (GAD), is a new Durango-based organization serving the Four Corners region. Our mission is water restoration through beaver education, awareness, and coordination of on-the-ground water restoration projects that involve the most current scientific research on water resilience. GAD fosters awareness of our sacred responsibility as humans to protect and further the natural world. Through education and hands-on water restoration projects GAD creates innovative, fun, and engaging opportunities for all community members of all ages to get involved in creating a sustainable water future.
Why Beavers?
Beavers and the wetlands they create are a solution to many of the environmental issues we are facing today!
Beaver-created wetlands recharge the water table – super helpful during drought, provide forest fire resilience – yes, beavers are natures firefighters, filter pollutants from water, and as a keystone species beavers- provide essential habitat for many species of birds, fish, plants, and animals.
Partnering With Beavers...
Partnering with beavers to restore their natural role within the ecosystem creates a resilient water future for the southwest. Providing our community and schools (elementary through college level) with current and accurate scientific information on water restoration GAD seeks to create water steward leaders.
Solutions for coexistence
At Give A Dam we provide solutions for coexistence with our fury friends.
Relocating “nuisance” beavers to keep their numbers growing so they can continue to help restore our watersheds. We relocated the beavers through a partnership with Wildlife 2000 and Birch Ecology.
This is Willow. With the help of Wildlife 2000, we safely relocated a family of 6 beavers.
Wildlife 2000 and Birch Ecology
Fencing Trees
Fencing trees to protect them from beaver chew. This project was a partnership with the City of Durango to protect trees along our beautiful Animas River.
flow Devices
We are partnering with landowners to install Flow Devices so that beavers can stay where they live and humans can keep their infrastructures safe from floods and keep culverts open.
