World of Tanks and One More Tree join forces! Together we support beavers

A few words about beavers

The European beaver is the largest rodent in Europe and one of the few wild animals that actively reshapes the landscape around it. For centuries it was almost completely wiped out in Poland – by the end of the twentieth century the population numbered just a few hundred individuals. Thanks to reintroduction programmes, beavers today inhabit rivers, streams and wetlands across the country, with their numbers estimated at several tens of thousands. It is one of the greatest nature conservation successes in Central Europe, though few people are aware of it.

The beaver’s role in the ecosystem is hard to overstate. By building dams from branches and mud, beavers slow the flow of water, creating floodplains and wetlands that become habitats for hundreds of species: fish, amphibians, waterfowl, insects and plants. Wherever beavers appear, groundwater levels rise, soil retains moisture and the surrounding forests and meadows become more resilient to drought. In an era of advancing climate change and growing water scarcity in Poland, the beaver does more for water retention than many an engineering project – and does it completely free of charge.

Supporting beaver populations is an investment in the entire ecosystem, not just a single species. Every floodplain created by a beaver dam is a hub of biodiversity that radiates outwards into the surrounding area. Research shows that areas inhabited by beavers have significantly higher species diversity than similar areas without them. The beaver is what is known as a keystone species: its presence or absence changes the entire ecosystem in a way that is disproportionately large relative to its numbers. Every action in favour of beavers – whether protecting their habitats, raising public awareness or supporting organisations involved in river restoration – therefore contributes to the broader health of nature.