Details:
6:00 – 8:00 pm | $10 Suggested Donation
Join us for a community potluck followed by an engaging talk with wildlife enthusiast and professional Molly of Rhode Island Beaver Management. After discovering a thriving beaver pond in her own backyard—and noticing the water level rising alarmingly—Molly realized just how serious the situation was. “Our house sits on a very thin piece of land, and the beaver pond covers most of the property,” she explained.
The beavers had dammed up the pond, raising the water level to what Hastings described as “nerve-wracking.” She reached out to the town and several divisions within the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, but the solutions offered—including lethal trapping—didn’t feel right for her situation. Instead, Molly took a different path: she learned to install beaver flow devices (also called Beaver Deceivers, Beaver Bafflers, or Exclusion Devices), which allow water to move freely while preserving the beavers’ ecosystem.
As illustrated in a recent article in ecoRI News, Molly’s innovative approach is gaining attention in Rhode Island.
Bring a dish, your curiosity, and your questions—share food, stories, and ways to live more gently with the natural world.
