It may sound strange, but building a fake beaver dam is one of the first steps in regenerating and saving Glassie Farm in Scotland.
The problem
Like many farms around the world, the land at Glassie had been harmed by previous deforestation and overuse, which led to
- Poor water quality
- A lack of biodiversity
- A barren landscape
The solution
The team at Mossy Earth set out to rekindle the ecosystem by planting trees and—you guessed it—building some fake beaver dams! These initial efforts are crucial to jumpstarting the local ecosystem.
Trees will:
- Provide shade to lower the river’s water temperature
- Attract important critters and organisms by offering them a place to settle
Fake dams:
- Attract beavers, which foster new interactions between land and water (channels, ponds and more) as they move into the area and inevitably build new lodges and real dams
What’s next
Glassie Farms is expected be thriving in just a few years thanks to these regenerative efforts!
- Check their YouTube channel for project updates.