Carleton students, community celebrate 2nd annual Beaverfest

When Carleton College junior Jonah Docter-Loeb started planning the second annual Beaverfest, the junior from Washington, D.C. wanted this year’s event bigger and better than last year.

If last Saturday, with more than 30 student volunteers and waves of community members visiting the lower Lyman Lake area of campus was any indication,then Docter Loeb exceeded his goal.

The five hour event intended to educate visitors about the benefits of a human-beaver coexistence, he explained.

Beaverfest was organized by Carleton students concerned about the environment, in partnership with professor Colleen Carpenter’s spring environmental ethics class. As an Academic Civic Engagement (ACE) course, students have assisted the Grounds and Arboretum managers in monitoring beaver damage along Lyman Lakes and the Upper Arb.

The outdoor fair offered crafts, beaver walks and educational booths designed for the whole family. Cotton candy, snow cones, cookies from Daisy Moses House and Ofelia’s Fresh Mexican Food Truck treats were available onsite.

Local beaver expert Dr. Emily Fairfax, representatives from the Minnesota Science Museum and trapper Mike Smith talked with visitors about the science and sociability of beavers.

“As ecosystem engineers, beavers hold the key to building climate resilience — if humans can learn to live alongside them,” said Farren Groom, a freshman from Corvallis, Ore.

Asked if there were already plans for next year’s event, Docter-Loeb nodded, as he watched more people coming down the hill, some walking over from the athletic fields, and still others joining the festivities on bikes.