Alexa Whipple

Program Director, Methow Okanogan Beaver Project

Winthrop, WA

August 30, 2024

The Westies met Alexa Whipple and other members of the Methow Okanagan Beaver Project for a hot, sweaty, and inspiring day along leafy streambeds in the Methow Valley. The Beaver Project began in 2008 and has been directed by Alexa since 2019. It works to preserve and restore beaver activity in the Methow and Okanagan watersheds by facilitating human-beaver coexistence, outreach, and education.

Beavers are considered a “nuisance species” in the state of Washington, but they are vital to river ecosystems. By building dams, beavers create swaths of habitat for other organisms, reduce water sediments, and increase nutrient cycling. Beaver populations are far lower than they should be in the Methow–and across the west–because of the historical fur trade and ongoing failures in human-beaver cohabitation. The Methow valley is only at 18% of its beaver capacity.

As project director for the Methow Okanagan Beaver Project, Alexa strives to create conditions that will enrich beaver, human, and ecosystem dynamics. As we talked to her, Alexa also emphasized the many lessons that humans can learn from beavers, including how to take care of the landscape, share resources, and benefit other creatures.

Throughout the day, Westies explored a handful of coexistence devices installed by the Beaver Project. We engaged in some hands-on stream restoration by creating temporary wooden devices to mimic beaver dams and slow down water flow. Thanks to Alexa’s enthusiastic explanations, demonstrations from other Beaver Project team members, and an afternoon working in the field, Westies gained a deeper appreciation for beavers and the importance of the Methow Okanagan Beaver Project’s work to help them thrive.

by: Juliette Silvers