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alexa.mbp@methowsalmon.org, 509-881-1173, www.methowbeaverproject.org
Alexa is a restoration ecologist, a collaborator, and the Project Director for the Methow Beaver
Project. She works for sustainability in all practices and effective, process-based solutions to
challenging environmental conditions. She has called the Methow and Okanogan River
watersheds of WA State home for the last 22 years but has worked across the western US
studying songbirds, carnivores, plant communities, agricultural practices that sustain habitat and
wildlife, and post-wildfire recovery of western riverscapes. Alexa completed her BS in Wildlife
Biology at Virginia Tech and MS in Restoration Ecology at Eastern Washington University
where she focused on beaver ecology and beaver mediated restoration of legacy degraded and
wildfire impacted streams across western NA.

Dr. Suzanne Fouty has been exploring surface and groundwater issues in the West for almost 40 years. She received her PhD from the University of Oregon in 2003 where her research looked at how cattle, elk, and beavers alter streams, and retired from the Forest Service in 2018 after almost 16 years as a water resource specialist. She has long been interested in the ability of beavers and wolves to accelerate stream-riparian-wetland restoration at the landscape scale, and the social and political obstacles limiting their expansion and thus contributions towards recovery of these systems. For the last five years she has spearheaded efforts to close federally managed public lands to beaver trapping and hunting as a strategic response to the emergencies of climate change and biodiversity loss. Dr. Fouty was the lead in writing and researching the language that became Oregon’s HB 3932, with some exceptions, one being the language that narrowed the bill’s scope.

Kate Lundquist co-directs the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center’s WATER Institute and the Bring Back the Beaver Campaign. Kate collaborates with landowners, communities, tribes, conservation organizations and resource agencies across the arid west to uncover obstacles and identify strategic solutions to conserve watersheds, recover listed species, increase water security and build resilience to the impacts of climate change. Kate works to catalyze the greater acceptance, funding and implementation of beaver and process-based restoration in support of biological and cultural diversity. Kate is a co-founder and member of the California Beaver Policy Working Group and the California Process-Based Restoration Network (www.calpbr.org) and serves as a member of the Beaver Institute’s (www.beaverinstitute.org) advisory board.

Leonard is a native Oregonian, born and raised in the Umpqua basin of southwestern Oregon. The forests were both his playground and schoo. Hunting, fishing and working in them, he developed a passion for conservation through a lifetime of first hand management and engagement.
Leonard is a recognized expert in the field of beaver ecology across the northern hemisphere. He specializes in reintroduction through live trapping of nuisance beavers and relocation to historical habitat here in the Umpqua National Forest. The last 17 years has been dedicated largely to the restoration of the beaver to its rightful place in our aquatic ecosystems. Quintessential to his success has been his effort to build partnerships between beavers, agencies and stakeholders. A challenge that is met daily. He founded the Beaver Advocacy Committee to ensure the vital role of Caster canadensis as a keystone species is reestablished.

Jakob is a professional wildlife biologist, entrepreneur, land steward, and storyteller. His work focuses on restoring the natural process and order of resilient habitat, its wildlife, and the complex interrelationship with humans. He has been working professionally in Oregon’s streams, rivers and wetlands for over 8 years. He is the foremost authority in mitigating beaver conflicts with human infrastructure in Oregon, through his company Beaver State Wildlife Solutions. He has published research on the endangered Pygmy Three-toed Sloth of Panama, and worked for Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Applegate Partnership.

Cara is a biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife working on nonlethal beaver management. She works to resolve both public and private beaver-related damage issues by educating people and promoting the use of tools like flow mitigation devices. She earned her BSc in Organismal Biology from Auburn University and spent the next 5 years working on wildlife field research projects across the United States before joining ODFW.

Madison Newton graduated in 2021 from the University of Washington with a B.S. in Environmental Science and Terrestrial Resource Management. Her passion and career have revolved around wildlife; from conducting studies on the intelligence of urban birds, analyzing acoustic data of PNW bats, working in veterinary and sanctuary settings, and wading among the beavers. Madison joined Beavers Northwest in 2020 and now serves as a full-time Project Manager facilitating beaver coexistence projects.

Audrey Taub is the Executive Director of the San Luis Obispo Beaver Brigade, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, founded in February of 2020 after a conversation among friends about
what we each could do to contribute to climate regeneration. Supporting the beavers in our county was our answer to that question. Beavers in the arid Central Coast of California Salinas River Beavers: Beavers live and thrive in the arid, Central Coast of California in the
Salinas River watershed. The Salinas River often runs dry part of the year with only subsurface flows. Yet beavers persist. Come hear about our arid beavers, how they are doing, what
struggles they face and how our community rallies to support our semi-aquatic neighbors. SLO Beaver Brigade

I grew up as a Korean adoptee in the rural Rocky Mountain West, hunting and fishing with my father and grandfather. Although they “fit the mold” for men of their time, they were not typical sportsmen due to their environmental beliefs, beliefs they were not shy about sharing. Because of this, I grew comfortable occupying outdoor sporting spaces despite being at odds with some of the dominant cultural narratives surrounding wildlife, ecology, man’s “rights” in the natural world, etc. I’ve never been a “neat fit” anywhere. This has been challenging at times but I believe it also has allowed me to develop and evolve my own thinking and learn to speak freely without fear of disapproval from the group.
Thus, my “sporting” life began at the beginning. To this day, I’m a hunter, fisherman, trapper, and fur buyer. Proud but questioning, always believing the natural world comes first.
Fast forward to 2018- I agreed to volunteer through Montana Trappers Association on a sage grouse habitat restoration project in eastern Montana. It was here where my “restoration” life began. This is when I was first introduced to LTPBR, which led me to Utah State University’s LTPBR training (and later, their Beaver Translocation workshop), which led to me being hired as Project Implementation Manager on the above mentioned sage grouse habitat project for the remainder of the project (2020-2023). It was this project, sponsored by Sage Grouse Initiative, that introduced me to the National Wildlife Federation who approached me about their growing Beaver Conflict Resolution Program in Western Montana. This led me to Beaver Institute’s BeaverCORPS Training Program and into non-lethal beaver work.
Today, I am a member of the Montana Trappers Association’s Ethics Committee, a columnist for the MTA newsletter, and a member of National Trappers Association, Idaho Trappers Association and Colorado Trappers and Predator Hunters Association. I represent MTA in the Montana Beaver Working Group, the MT Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ Beaver Relocation Advisory Committee, and the Beaver Institute’s Hunter and Trapper’s Affinity Group. I also represented both MTA and BI at BeaverCON 2024 in their panel discussion on consumptive use. I have been a BeaverCORPS member since 2022, I am a member of The Wildlife Society and serve on their Hunting, Trapping and Conservation Working Group, and I am an Assistant Instructor in the Natural Resources Department at Front Range Community College in Ft. Collins, CO. I also am the owner/operator of a small wildlife management business called Songdog Outdoor Services, LLC that specializes in all-things beaver with a focus on coexistence.

Dr. Jordan Kennedy is an interdisciplinary researcher and engineer specializing in non-human animal engineering, hydrodynamics, and Indigenous-led conservation initiatives. As the Tribal Partnerships Liaison and Beaver Behaviorist at the Beaver Institute, she advocates for integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) in conservation, policy, and management. She works to ensure that Indigenous sovereignty, ethical research standards, and data governance remain central to conservation efforts.
With a Ph.D. and M.S. in Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering from Harvard University, Jordan’s research spans non-human animal-engineered landscapes, river hydrodynamics, and biomimetic design. Her work has included field studies on beaver damming behaviors using GIS and photogrammetry, laboratory experiments on logjam hydrodynamics, engineering meta-analysis of non-human architects, and designing beaver-inspired robotic platforms for landscape construction.
Beyond her work with the Beaver Institute, Jordan is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design in Landscape Architecture, where she designs distributed robotic platforms for landscape architecture. She also serves as a Research Fellow at Outer Coast College, developing curricula that bridge engineering, physics, and Indigenous epistemologies. Jordan, a dedicated science communicator and consultant, has advised on NSF, NEH, and NERC grant proposals while delivering invited talks on rewilding and restoration within Indigenous frameworks. She previously served as Science Director at INDIGENOUS LED, leading interdisciplinary collaborations across federal, tribal, and academic sectors to align conservation efforts with Indigenous knowledge and governance principles.Through her work, Jordan fosters reciprocal relationships between Indigenous communities, researchers, and policymakers to advance ethical, TEK-informed conservation strategies.

Keith worked for the USDA Forest Service as a wildlife biologist with a variety of assignments including as an Animal Damage Specialist for all National Forests in the states of Washington and Oregon. During his time as an animal damage specialist, he revised the Wildlife Control Handbook to include a focus on non-lethal techniques, rather than lethal techniques that included trapping and poisons. His revised handbook was the basis for the Forest Service PNW GTR332 Animal Damage Handbook issued in 1994. Both handbooks included the original 1956 Beaver Baffler as a recommended structure to be utilized instead of trapping when beaver conflicts occurred.
Glen previously worked as a Forest Service wilderness ranger in Oregon and a Peace Corp fisheries specialist in Ecuador. Then in Idaho for the Bureau of Land Management in a variety of capacities as a wildland natural resources manager.

Harold Santos – Tribal member and Tribal Elder of the Tule River Indian Reservation of California. I have been on the Natural Resource Advisory Board for a total of 16 years where I am currently the chairperson. I have been working with beavers and meadow restoration projects since 2021 locating areas for the beavers, and building BDAs. I’m also involved in cultural burning that we are bringing back to our lands.
Bianca Guillen – I am a Tribal Member of the Tule River Indian Reservation, and I am currently the Secretary of the Tule River Natural Resource Advisory Board. I personally have always been one for Nature growing up on the Rez.
Arnold Trippel – Hydrologist for the Natural Resource Department. Actively involved in the beaver project alongside other key members such as Roselynn Lwenya, Billy Farmer, and Kenneth McDarment. Graduated from University of Nevada, Reno with an undergraduate degree in Eco-Hydrology. 6 years of experience working in the environmental field in several water resource related projects.

Lion Waxman is a regenerative landscape designer, consultant, contractor and educator with a passion for integrating water retention practices into landscape design. He is a certified Permaculture Designer and Teacher, holds an B.A. in Environmental & Social Sustainability and an M.S. in Ecological Landscape Design. He is on the staff of OSU's online Permaculture program, teaching students all over the world and is the founder and Principal of Good Earth Gardens, LLC through which he has been designing and implementing regenerative farm and landscape projects in and around Southern Oregon for the last 7 years. He resides in the hills outside of Talent, Oregon on the traditional lands of the Latgawa.

Nova has dedicated her academic & personal life to our friend, the beaver, since 2020. Currently, she is a Master of Science student in Environmental Studies and Hydrologic Sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Her research integrates hydro-geomorphic ecological studies with policy and stakeholder analysis to guide non-lethal beaver management in Colorado. She also explores related topics such as habitat fragmentation, riverscape connectivity, and the dynamics of human-wildlife relationships, with a centering emphasis on coexistence and the ecology of fear. Additionally, Nova is participating in Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s (CPW) focus‑group process for the forthcoming Beaver Conservation & Management Strategy. She is also the founder of SaveTheBeavers: an imminent, independent, research-driven advocacy initiative. Additionally, Nova recently presented at EcoStream 2025, focusing on coexistence tools. Outside of her studies, Nova enjoys snowboarding, exploring nature with her two cats, herbalism, and sewing.

Sarah Beesley is a Senior Fisheries Biologist with the Lower Klamath Program of the Yurok Tribal Fisheries Department. The Lower Klamath Program monitors anadromous fish populations and conducts habitat restoration within the Lower Klamath River, California. The Yurok approach to restoration relies on implementation of process-based techniques and tribal stewardship – tending to the land and water. Restoration work has included installation of constructed wood jams including beaver dam analogues, riparian planting, creation of off-channel wetlands, and other innovative approaches.

Nate Norman, Lead Biologist- Nate oversees day to day operations of BERC and is the Lead Biologist on the project. He works closely with landowners to initially determine alternative methods to “co-exist” with the nuisance beavers and is the lead live trapper. Nate also works with lethal trappers in the state to help them learn live-trapping methods and encourages them to be part of the BERC operations and solutions. Nate is the primary contact between landowners, other LTPBR programs, and the state and federal agencies to determine release sites and strategies. Nate earned his BS degree from Eastern Michigan University in 1994 and has been an environmental consultant for the past 30 years. He has been working with beavers for 9 years and has received training in several beaver management activities, including the capture, holding, and release of beaver. Nate was one of the first non-agency persons in the state of Utah to become legally certified to perform these duties. He has been working closely with both the UDWR and the USFS to develop protocols for beaver translocation.

Becky Yeager, Lead Beaver Care Biologist- Becky Yeager has served as the Lead Beaver Care Biologist for the past 6 years, often working with a team of about 60 volunteers to care for the beavers during quarantine. She also assists in the data collection, trapping, and release of the beavers. Among other important duties, Becky oversees facility operations including the maintenance of the beaver pens known as the Beaver Bunkhouse. Becky earned her BS and MS degrees from NMSU in Las Cruces, NM, and came to Cache Valley in 1992 when she accepted a position as a wildlife biologist. During that time, she specialized in federal and state-listed rare species. Becky is also actively involved in monarch conservation and the development of pollinator habitats for the state of Utah, cities, and other organizations.

Alex Fortin, Research Associate- Alex is a co-lead of BERC's research project monitoring the site of relocated beavers. He also assists with beaver care, beaver live-trapping, and beaver care. Alex received a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology and Management from USU in 2021 and is currently pursuing a M.S. in Natural Resources at Utah State University. He has been a professional in the field for over three years having worked for three different federal agencies and a consulting firm. He is currently a zoned fish and wildlife technician for the Forest Service on the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest.

Natalie D'Souza, Research Associate & Volunteer Coordinator- Natalie a co-lead of BERC's research project monitoring the site of relocated beavers. She is also the coordinator of over 60 volunteers, working with these citizen scientists to facilitate outreach events, beaver care, and educational opportunities. Natalie earned a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology and Management with a minor in Biology and Journalism at USU in Logan, Utah. She is also pursuing a M.S. in Ecological Restoration at Utah State University. Natalie currently works at Colorado State University’s Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands designing natural resources management plans for Air Force installations.