Join us at Oregon Natural Desert Association’s first online event of the 2026 High Desert Speaker Series with an evening all about beavers. Come learn about the important role of beavers in helping wildlife adapt and ecosystems thrive in a changing climate with Dr. Emily Fairfax, Assistant Professor of Geography at the University of Minnesota and beaver researcher.

Dr. Fairfax will elaborate on how beavers support a healthy environment, particularly their ability to retain precious desert water and combat drought. She will also outline a natural history of beavers and why we should care about helping them recover their populations in Oregon’s high desert. Jefferson Jacobs, ONDA’s riparian restoration manager, will join to share how our stream restoration work is grounded in creating beaver habitat to support the health of the entire ecosystem.

This is a free, virtual event. Make a donation when registering to begin or renew your ONDA membership.

Raffle

The High Desert Speaker Series features a raffle with an incredible prize package full of gear and gift certificates from Patagonia, Andina Restaurant, MiiR, Portland Leather Company and more. This entire one-of-a-kind bundle could be yours! One lucky winner will be drawn at the end of the Series and notified on March 13. Raffle tickets are $5 each, or 3 for $10, and they can be purchased at registration.

100% of proceeds support high desert conservation.

Sponsors

Thank you to WYLD Works and First Interstate Bank for supporting desert conservation and sponsoring the High Desert Speaker Series.

About the Presenters

Emily Fairfax is an Assistant Professor of Geography at the University of Minnesota and an affiliate faculty member at the Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory. Dr. Fairfax double majored in Chemistry and Physics as an undergraduate at Carleton College, then went on to earn a PhD in Geological Sciences with an emphasis in Hydrologic Sciences from the University of Colorado Boulder. She uses a combination of remote sensing, modeling, and field work to understand how beaver ecosystem engineering can create drought and fire-resistant patches in the landscape under a changing climate.  Her research has been featured internationally in National Geographic, the New York Times, the LA Times, PBS, NPR, BBC, and others. When Dr. Fairfax says she can talk about beavers all day, she’s not kidding.

Originally from Maine, Jefferson Jacobs graduated from the University of Maine with a bachelor’s degree in wildlife ecology and earned a master’s degree at University of Alaska-Fairbanks. At ONDA since 2008, Jefferson designs and implements riparian restoration projects focused on addressing the factors preventing beavers from managing their habitat. This has led to the development of the BeaverHOOD Strategy, which guides a practitioner in achieving the goal of creating more beaver managed floodplains. Jefferson also uses this experience in the field to help inform beaver-related legislation and riparian policy.

If you have questions or feedback about the accessibility of this event, please click here.

Event Photo: Tim Lumley