BEAVERTON
A sustainable community of humans living and thriving with the world’s most eco-friendly engineers … beavers!
Beavers
New York State’s official mammals
After living and working in New York City for 25 years, my husband and I moved to a small Tudor-style home in upstate New York surrounded by woods, lakes, and rivers. During a hike, we discovered a family of beavers slapping their tails on the water.
We marveled at the impressive structural design of the dams they built and began learning about the positive environmental impact of their colonies.
As an artist and researcher who’s studied biophilic design and biomimicry, I’ve grown a deep appreciation for the architectural talents of our beaver neighbors.
Sustainability
A human community designed to fight the climate crisis
Like the complex dams and lodges built by beavers, the interconnected dwellings of Beaverton promote biodiversity, improve water quality, and create new wetlands – which are vital in:
- Sequestering carbon
- Mitigating greenhouse gas emissions
- Decreasing flooding
- Reducing erosion created by extreme weather events
Local supplies and renewable energy
Building and living sustainably
The Beaverton community will:
- Build with locally-sourced materials. Wood, stone, clay, and straw are all currently abundant and renewable in New York State.
- Integrate solar, wind, and other renewable energy systems. New York State offers financial incentives for solar such as rebates, tax credits, and net metering.
- Leverage geothermal and biomass energy.
Do no harm. Do good!
Fertilizer instead of septic waste
Beaver will redesign existing sanitary systems so they can turn human waste into fertilizer. 30% of homes in New York State have septic systems, which can undergo “septic tank effluent pumping” (STEP), also known as “septic tank effluent gravity (STEG) distribution.” This process filters and treats the wastewater before safely releasing it into the soil.
Going beyond legal compliance
Protecting and nurturing wildlife
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) enforces state and federal laws to protect beaver habitats. Beaverton will
1. Preserve and expand wetland habitats in accordance to all regulations.
2. Protect beavers from trapping, which is illegal without a permit in New York.
3. Avoid any modification or disturbance of the beaver habitat.
4. Plant beaver-friendly trees and vegetation like apens, willows, birch, cottonwood, water lilies, and other aquatic plants.
5. Assess existing beaver populations for planning, design, and construction purposes.
To ensure that humans and beavers can live and thrive together without any harmful consequences, Beaverton will:
- Install pond levelers to release excess water in the ponds to prevent beaver dams from flooding homes.
- Set homes back from the water’s edge so their foundation will not be affected by beaver dams and lodges.
- Create a buffer zone by planting dense vegetation or building a retaining wall.
- Install “beaver baffles” to prevent beavers from chewing through trees and posts.
- Use non-toxic materials, like non-treated wood, that will not harm beavers or any other wildlife.
Improving water quality
Promoting biodiversity
The interconnected and stand-alone dwellings co-exist within the larger ecosystem.
Core Values
Symbiosis, community, and collaboration
Beavers are intelligent social creatures working closely together to maintain, improve, and protect their homes. Likewise, human families can connect, collaborate, and thrive through sharing their spaces and resources.
Beaverton encourages us to connect with each other in meaningful ways to build a more sustainable and resilient future.
