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Why are beavers obsessed with dams? - Glynnis Hood

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TEDEd Animation

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Nestled in the forests of Canada sits the world’s longest beaver dam. This 850-meter-long structure is large enough to be seen in satellite imagery and has dramatically transformed the region, creating a pond containing 70 million liters of water. But dams of any size can have huge impacts on their environment. So how exactly do beavers build these impressive structures? Glynnis Hood investigates.

Beavers change their environment to benefit their own success through a process called “ecosystem engineering”. What are some of the physical outcomes of their engineering activities, and how might these outcomes aid the success of other species and ecological processes as well?

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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Glynnis Hood
  • Director Keegan Thornhill
  • Narrator Alexandra Panzer
  • Storyboard Artist Keegan Thornhill
  • Animator Keegan Thornhill
  • Background Artist Jonathan Martin Allan
  • Composer Salil Bhayani, cAMP Studio
  • Sound Designer Amanda P.H. Bennett, Chengqing Zhu, cAMP Studio
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Producer Anna Bechtol
  • Associate Producer Abdallah Ewis
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Editorial Producer Dan Kwartler
  • Script Editor Renae Reints

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