Who We Are
Western Beavers Cooperative is a small, field-based organization based in Central Oregon and working across Eastern Oregon’s high desert. Our work is rooted in the landscapes and communities of Eastern Oregon, where we work alongside landowners, watershed groups, agencies, researchers and local practitioners to support healthier streams, working lands and the return and persistence of beavers. We intentionally work light - bringing together the people, knowledge and resources a place needs while nurturing the local relationships and capacity that remain after a project ends.
What Drives Us
Beavers were deliberately removed from much of the West nearly two centuries ago. Their loss helped unravel many of the wet meadows, complex channels and riparian systems they had shaped over generations.
We believe their return requires more than moving beavers around the landscape. It means preparing land so beavers already rooted in these watersheds - and their descendants - can expand, raise families and remain, while communities adapt to the changes they make.
Western Beavers Crew
Reese Mercer, Project Director
Reese started Western Beavers from a love of beavers, bumpy backroads, and the people and communities of Eastern Oregon. For nearly a decade, she has learned from beavers, the streams they shape, and the people who know those places best - turning that understanding into practical ways to support beaver persistence across working landscapes.
Zach Hinman, Streams and Beaver Recovery Coordinator
Raised in Central Oregon, Zach has spent a lifetime paying close attention to its high desert, sagebrush steppe and river landscapes. A careful observer, guide and teacher, he brings that perspective to understanding beaver activity, stream condition and riparian recovery. He holds a master’s degree in Environmental Science from OSU-Cascades.
Nathan Deweber, Field and Outreach Coordinator
When he’s not knee deep in river muck or tucked into a stand of willows, Nathan provides the facilitation and behind-the-scenes support that helps shape Western Beavers’ gatherings, field learning and community outreach.
What Guides Us
- Start with place. Every creek and community has its own history. We begin by listening, looking and learning.
- Think in generations. Streams did not unravel overnight, and recovery takes time.
- Work with people who know the land. Durable change is built with local communities, not delivered to them.
- Respect beaver agency. Beavers ultimately decide where they settle. Our job is to improve the conditions that allow them to succeed.
- Learn by doing. We watch what happens, share what we learn and adjust.
Advisory Committee
Western Beavers is guided by an Advisory Committee of folks who bring local knowledge, practical experience and outside perspective to our work.
- Pam Hart, Sage Hollow Ranch
- Conrad Ely, Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife
- Jill Welborn, Generations Botanical, LLC
- Kathleen Curtis, Small Business Owner
- Jennifer Houston, Marketing Consultant
Our Partners
Our work depends on strong relationships across Eastern Oregon - with landowners, Tribal programs, watershed groups, agencies, researchers and other collaborators.