Nova Robbins-Waldstein, '24

Nova Robbins-Waldstein (Environmental Studies, 2024) is a current master's student in Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Her research includes studying how policy, culture, and land-use decisions shape when North American beavers (Castor canadensis) are managed as “nuisance” or welcomed as neighbors, and what that means for groundwater, wetlands, and resilient riverscapes. As a part of this, she founded Save the Beavers, an independent, research-driven advocacy initiative. The project blends hydrologic science, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and on-the-ground fieldwork to show that beavers are kin, not nuisances, who also act as living engineers who store water, cool wildfires, and revive biodiversity. Through data-rich storytelling, open-access toolkits, and policy partnerships, Save the Beavers helps land managers and communities adopt Beaver-Human Coexistence (BHC) and Beaver-Based Management (BBM) practices that enable rivers, and the people who rely on them, to thrive together. Learn more at savethebeavers.com.