Baumeister mit Biss – wie der Biber unsere Landschaft verändert

Here on the Omerbach, you can see just how much a single animal can shape its surroundings: When a tree lies across the stream, it wasn’t a storm at work—but a skilled builder.

The European beaver uses its teeth and branches to shape entire aquatic landscapes, thereby creating new habitats such as ponds, pools, and riparian zones.

These refuges it creates act as natural reservoirs in the forest: they retain rainwater, replenish the groundwater, and offer protection during heavy rainfall. In this way, beavers actively help forests better withstand the effects of climate change.

Beavers have now reestablished themselves around Schevenhütte. Their dams, gnaw marks, and lodges show that these animals themselves shape the landscape—and how closely their actions are linked to the balance of nature.

This route was developed as part of the LEADER-funded project “Quality Initiative for Hiking in Roetgen and Stolberg” with support from the European Union (EAFRD) and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.