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{{Short description|Scientist}}
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{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
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| name = Emily Fairfax
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| website = https://www.emilyfairfaxscience.com
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'''Emily Fairfax''' is an [[Ecohydrology|ecohydrologist]], beaver researcher, and assistant professor of geography at the [[University of Minnesota]]. She is best known for her research describing how [[beavers]] create [[Environmental impacts of beavers|drought and wildfire resistant patches]] in the landscape. Fairfax and her research have been featured internationally in numerous written, radio, and television media programs about beavers.

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'''Emily Fairfax''' is an ecohydrologist, beaver researcher, and Assistant Professor of Geography at the [[University of Minnesota]]. She is best known for her research describing how [[beavers]] create [[drought]] and [[wildfire]] resistant patches in the landscape. Fairfax and her research have been featured internationally in numerous written, radio, and television media programs about beavers.


== Early life and education ==
== Early life and education ==
Fairfax double-majored in [[Chemistry]] and [[Physics]] as an undergraduate at [[Carleton College]], then went on to earn her Ph.D. in [[Geology]] from the [[University of Colorado Boulder]]. <ref>{{cite web |first1=Natural Areas Association |url=https://naturalareas.org/emily_fairfax.php |website=Natural Areas Association |publisher=NAA |access-date=August 5, 2023}}</ref> She was awarded a [[DoD NDSEG Fellowship]] for her doctoral studies, and completed graduate certificates in Hydrologic Sciences and in College Teaching while at the University of Colorado Boulder. Fairfax says that her interest in science developed at an early age - as a young child she told her that mother that wanted to walk on the rings of Saturn, but to not worry because she’d bring her car-seat to be safe.<ref>{{cite web |title=Beaver dams and wildfire, a stop-motion demonstration |url=https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/beaver-dams-wildfire |website=The Kids Should See This |access-date=August 6, 2023}}</ref> She was a [[Girl Scout]] growing up and spent significant time camping outdoors and leading canoe trips in the [[Boundary Waters Canoe Area]], which she says kindled her interest in environmental science and wetlands in particular.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kearns |first1=Faith |title=From being an engineer to researching nature’s engineers |url=https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=41302 |website=UC ANR Forest and Research Outreach |access-date=August 5, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Fairfax |first1=Emily |title=How a Beaver Became a Twitter Star |url=https://edgeeffects.net/how-a-beaver-became-a-twitter-star/ |website=Edge Effects |access-date=August 5, 2023}}</ref> However, she did not seriously think about beavers and their relationship to [[climate change]] until she watched the [[PBS]] documentary "Leave it to Beavers". <ref>{{cite web |last1=Kearns |first1=Faith |title=From being an engineer to researching nature’s engineers |url=https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=41302 |website=UC ANR Forest and Research Outreach |access-date=August 5, 2023}}</ref>
Fairfax double-majored in [[Chemistry]] and [[Physics]] as an undergraduate at [[Carleton College]], then went on to earn her Ph.D. in [[Geology]] from the [[University of Colorado Boulder]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Emily Fairfax |url=https://naturalareas.org/emily_fairfax.php |website=Natural Areas Association |publisher=NAA |access-date=August 5, 2023}}</ref> She was awarded a [[DoD NDSEG Fellowship]] for her doctoral studies, and completed graduate certificates in Hydrologic Sciences and in College Teaching while at the University of Colorado Boulder. Fairfax says that her interest in science developed at an early age—as a young child she told her that mother that wanted to walk on the rings of Saturn, but to not worry because she'd bring her car seat to be safe.<ref>{{cite web |title=Beaver dams and wildfire, a stop-motion demonstration |url=https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/beaver-dams-wildfire |website=The Kids Should See This |date=18 February 2019 |access-date=August 6, 2023}}</ref> She was a [[Girl Scouts of the USA|Girl Scout]] growing up and spent significant time camping outdoors and leading canoe trips in the [[Boundary Waters Canoe Area]], which she says kindled her interest in environmental science and wetlands in particular.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kearns |first1=Faith |title=From being an engineer to researching nature's engineers |url=https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=41302 |website=UC ANR Forest and Research Outreach |access-date=August 5, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Fairfax |first1=Emily |title=How a Beaver Became a Twitter Star |url=https://edgeeffects.net/how-a-beaver-became-a-twitter-star/ |website=Edge Effects |date=7 March 2019 |access-date=August 5, 2023}}</ref> She began to seriously think about beavers and their relationship to [[climate change]] when she watched the [[PBS]] documentary "Leave it to Beavers".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kearns |first1=Faith |title=From being an engineer to researching nature's engineers |url=https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=41302 |website=UC ANR Forest and Research Outreach |access-date=August 5, 2023}}</ref>


== Career ==
== Career ==
Fairfax is an ecohydrologist, beaver expert, and science communicator. She was an Assistant Professor of Environmental Science and Resource Management at [[California State University Channel Islands]] from 2019-2023. In 2023, she started a new position as an Assistant Professor of [[Physical Geography]] at the [[University of Minnesota]]<ref>{{cite web |first1=UMN GES |url=https://cla.umn.edu/geography/news-events/news/new-faculty-joining-ges |website=UMN GES News |access-date=August 5, 2023}}</ref> and is affiliated with the [[Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory]].<ref>{{cite web |first1=UMN SAFL |url=https://cse.umn.edu/safl/safl-affiliated-faculty |website=SAFL Affiliated Faculty |access-date=August 5, 2023}}</ref>
Fairfax is an ecohydrologist, beaver expert, and science communicator. She was an assistant professor of Environmental Science and Resource Management at [[California State University Channel Islands]] from 2019 to 2023. In 2023, she started a new position as an assistant professor of [[Physical Geography]] at the [[University of Minnesota]]<ref>{{cite web |title=New faculty joining GES |url=https://cla.umn.edu/geography/news-events/news/new-faculty-joining-ges |website=UMN GES News |date=7 April 2023 |access-date=August 5, 2023}}</ref> and is affiliated with the [[Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory]].<ref>{{cite web |title=SAFL Affiliated Faculty |url=https://cse.umn.edu/safl/safl-affiliated-faculty |website=SAFL |access-date=August 5, 2023}}</ref> She was selected as an Environment Fellow by the [[Walton Family Foundation]] in 2024.<ref>{{Cite press release |last=Foundation |first=Walton Family |title=Ahead of Earth Day, Walton Family Foundation Announces Emily Fairfax and Meaghan Parker as New Environment Fellows |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ahead-of-earth-day-walton-family-foundation-announces-emily-fairfax-and-meaghan-parker-as-new-environment-fellows-302120226.html |access-date=2024-05-14 |website=www.prnewswire.com |language=en}}</ref> Fairfax received the G.K. Gilbert Award for Excellence in Geomorphological Research from the [[American Association of Geographers]] - Geomorphology Specialty Group in 2024.


=== Research ===
=== Research ===
{{See also|Environmental impacts of beavers}}
Fairfax studies how [[ecosystem engineering]] by beavers increases the drought and fire resistance of [[wetland]] and [[riparian]] ecosystems in North America. She primarily uses [[remote sensing]], modeling, and field work to quantify changes in ecosystem health before, during, and after disturbances in areas with and without beaver activity. Her study titled "Smokey the Beaver: beaver-dammed riparian corridors stay green during wildfire throughout the western United States"<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Fairfax |first1=Emily |last2=Whittle |first2=Andrew |title=Smokey the Beaver: beaver-dammed riparian corridors stay green during wildfire throughout the western United States |journal=Ecological Applications |date=September 2, 2020 |volume=30 |issue=8 |url=https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/eap.2225}}</ref> was the first scientific study to document beaver-created fire refugia and has garnered significant attention worldwide. Fairfax and this research have been featured in [[National Geographic]]<ref>{{cite news |last1=Goldfarb |first1=Ben |title=How beavers became North America's best firefighter |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/beavers-firefighters-wildfires-california-oregon |access-date=Aug 5, 2023 |publisher=National Geographic}}</ref>, [[BBC]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Our Changing Planet |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0fg5974 |publisher=BBC |access-date=August 5, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Blackman |first1=Stuart |title=Beavers' activities can create oases and limit spread of US wildfires |url=https://www.discoverwildlife.com/news/beavers-activities-can-create-oases-and-limit-spread-of-us-wildfires/ |access-date=Aug 5, 2023 |publisher=BBC Discover Wildlife}}</ref>, [[NPR]]<ref>{{cite news |title=Beavers can teach researchers a thing or two about improving wildfire resistance |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/04/05/1090992348/beavers-can-teach-researchers-a-thing-or-two-about-improving-wildfire-resistance |access-date=Aug 5, 2023 |publisher=NPR Morning Edition}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Beavers Build Ecosystems of Resilience |url=https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/beaver-wetland-wildfires/ |access-date=Aug 5, 2023 |publisher=NPR Science Friday}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=How beavers are helping restore wetlands and create buffers against wildfires |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/07/31/1191034023/how-beavers-are-helping-restore-wetlands-and-create-buffers-against-wildfires |access-date=Aug 6, 2023 |publisher=NPR Morning Edition |date=July 31, 2023}}</ref>, [[PBS]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Changing Planet: Beavers Help to Control California's Forest Fires |url=https://www.pbs.org/video/beavers-help-control-californias-forest-fires-yqv4de/ |publisher=PBS |access-date=August 5, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Want to Solve Wildfires and Drought? Leave it to BEAVERS! |url=https://www.pbs.org/video/want-to-solve-wildfires-and-drought-leave-it-to-beavers-t8gtpt/ |publisher=PBS Terra |access-date=August 5, 2023}}</ref>, [[CBS News]]<ref>{{cite news |last1=Powell |first1=Tori |title=From pest to protector: How beavers are helping fight climate change |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-utah-scientists-beavers-fight-climate-change/ |access-date=Aug 6, 2023 |publisher=CBS Mornings |date=August 31, 2022}}</ref>, [[ABC News]]<ref>{{cite news |title=How beaver dams can help fight wildfires |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/video/beaver-dams-fight-wildfires-98323897 |access-date=Aug 6, 2023 |publisher=ABC News |date=April 6, 2023}}</ref>, [[CBC News]]<ref>{{cite news |title=An unlikely ally in the face of wildfires and droughts: the humble beaver |url=https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/beavers-climate-change-drought-wildfires-1.6582915 |access-date=Aug 6, 2023 |publisher=CBC News: The Current |date=Sept 14, 2022}}</ref>, [[AP News]]<ref>{{cite news |last1=Taxin |first1=Amy |title=California aims to tap beavers, once viewed as a nuisance, to help with water issues and wildfires |url=https://apnews.com/article/california-beaver-preservation-545314e4d850542539076396b70d49cc |access-date=Aug 6, 2023 |publisher=AP News |date=July 24, 2023}}</ref>, [[Scientific American]]<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cusick |first1=Daniel |title=The Beaver Emerges as a ‘Climate-Solving Hero’ |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-beaver-emerges-as-a-climate-solving-hero/ |access-date=Aug 6, 2023 |publisher=Scientific American |date=July 11, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Whitcomb |first1=Isobel |title=Beaver Dams Help Wildfire-Ravaged Ecosystems Recover Long after Flames Subside |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/beaver-dams-help-wildfire-ravaged-ecosystems-recover-long-after-flames-subside/ |access-date=Aug 6, 2023 |publisher=Scientific American |date=February 7, 2022}}</ref>, the [[Los Angeles Times]]<ref>{{cite news |last1=Solis |first1=Nathan |title=California says the beaver can be superhero in fighting climate change |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-09-07/california-launches-beaver-restoration-program-to-fight-climate-change |access-date=Aug 5, 2023 |publisher=Los Angeles Times |date=Sept 7, 2022}}</ref>, and the [[New York Times]]<ref>{{cite news |last1=Einhorn |first1=Catrin |title=It Was War. Then, a Rancher’s Truce With Some Pesky Beavers Paid Off. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/06/climate/climate-change-beavers.html?unlocked_article_code=rdbhHkEVr8elyDg3aJyyl1jjoNFXBPP0uD8vM-IkmSixEM3cBJlhSSqMwXNrEwneKbOlxhZHALJTFA9i6ubPBId0hVw4WSDE7gbD-hckdAhab0RPByLJlFsWa1qe1ymwhUdqjU1i68p3vuMWPFspMJm2QFLQnsy0Gb1U8YmfhLAYjdWIVXUvAyHgR_43RbTJukph0tQLA3ty7qJN8_UAa1tHj3UATxiMXtf39wiztk3Bdomr_91nhikoWeVWDUUunIoI7y92quOQL1HY1zoGM91xjXIgqhrxe0OmSpNIfWHJuEpvrixXWD-uZpRcqdRm4fE-2-cEGRqoGdPUQT1e7g&smid=share-url |access-date=Aug 5, 2023 |publisher=New York Times |date=Sept 6, 2022}}</ref>, amongst others.
Fairfax studies how [[ecosystem engineering]] by beavers increases the drought and fire resistance of [[wetland]] and [[riparian]] ecosystems in North America. She primarily uses [[remote sensing]], modeling, and field work to quantify changes in ecosystem health before, during, and after disturbances in areas with and without beaver activity. Her study titled "Smokey the Beaver: beaver-dammed riparian corridors stay green during wildfire throughout the western United States"<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Fairfax |first1=Emily |last2=Whittle |first2=Andrew |title=Smokey the Beaver: beaver-dammed riparian corridors stay green during wildfire throughout the western United States |journal=Ecological Applications |date=September 2, 2020 |volume=30 |issue=8 |pages=e02225 |doi=10.1002/eap.2225 |pmid=32881199 |s2cid=221475263 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2020EcoAp..30E2225F }}</ref> was the first scientific study to document beaver-created fire refugia and has garnered significant attention worldwide. Fairfax and this research have been featured in [[National Geographic]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Goldfarb |first1=Ben |title=How beavers became North America's best firefighter |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/beavers-firefighters-wildfires-california-oregon |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210222085512/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/beavers-firefighters-wildfires-california-oregon |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 22, 2021 |access-date=Aug 5, 2023 |publisher=National Geographic}}</ref> [[BBC]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Our Changing Planet |date=12 April 2023 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0fg5974 |publisher=BBC |access-date=August 5, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Blackman |first1=Stuart |title=Beavers' activities can create oases and limit spread of US wildfires |url=https://www.discoverwildlife.com/news/beavers-activities-can-create-oases-and-limit-spread-of-us-wildfires/ |access-date=Aug 5, 2023 |publisher=BBC Discover Wildlife}}</ref> [[NPR]],<ref>{{cite news |title=Beavers can teach researchers a thing or two about improving wildfire resistance |url=https://www.npr.org/2022/04/05/1090992348/beavers-can-teach-researchers-a-thing-or-two-about-improving-wildfire-resistance |access-date=Aug 5, 2023 |publisher=NPR Morning Edition}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Beavers Build Ecosystems of Resilience |url=https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/beaver-wetland-wildfires/ |access-date=Aug 5, 2023 |publisher=NPR Science Friday}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=How beavers are helping restore wetlands and create buffers against wildfires |url=https://www.npr.org/2023/07/31/1191034023/how-beavers-are-helping-restore-wetlands-and-create-buffers-against-wildfires |access-date=Aug 6, 2023 |publisher=NPR Morning Edition |date=July 31, 2023}}</ref> [[PBS]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Changing Planet: Beavers Help to Control California's Forest Fires |url=https://www.pbs.org/video/beavers-help-control-californias-forest-fires-yqv4de/ |publisher=PBS |access-date=August 5, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Want to Solve Wildfires and Drought? Leave it to BEAVERS! |url=https://www.pbs.org/video/want-to-solve-wildfires-and-drought-leave-it-to-beavers-t8gtpt/ |publisher=PBS Terra |access-date=August 5, 2023}}</ref> [[CBS News]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Powell |first1=Tori |title=From pest to protector: How beavers are helping fight climate change |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-utah-scientists-beavers-fight-climate-change/ |access-date=Aug 6, 2023 |publisher=CBS Mornings |date=August 31, 2022}}</ref> [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]],<ref>{{cite news |title=How beaver dams can help fight wildfires |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/video/beaver-dams-fight-wildfires-98323897 |access-date=Aug 6, 2023 |publisher=ABC News |date=April 6, 2023}}</ref> [[CBC News]],<ref>{{cite news |title=An unlikely ally in the face of wildfires and droughts: the humble beaver |url=https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/beavers-climate-change-drought-wildfires-1.6582915 |access-date=Aug 6, 2023 |publisher=CBC News: The Current |date=September 14, 2022}}</ref> [[AP News]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Taxin |first1=Amy |title=California aims to tap beavers, once viewed as a nuisance, to help with water issues and wildfires |url=https://apnews.com/article/california-beaver-preservation-545314e4d850542539076396b70d49cc |access-date=Aug 6, 2023 |publisher=AP News |date=July 24, 2023}}</ref> [[Scientific American]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cusick |first1=Daniel |title=The Beaver Emerges as a 'Climate-Solving Hero' |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-beaver-emerges-as-a-climate-solving-hero/ |access-date=Aug 6, 2023 |publisher=Scientific American |date=July 11, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Whitcomb |first1=Isobel |title=Beaver Dams Help Wildfire-Ravaged Ecosystems Recover Long after Flames Subside |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/beaver-dams-help-wildfire-ravaged-ecosystems-recover-long-after-flames-subside/ |access-date=Aug 6, 2023 |publisher=Scientific American |date=February 7, 2022}}</ref> the [[Los Angeles Times]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Solis |first1=Nathan |title=California says the beaver can be superhero in fighting climate change |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-09-07/california-launches-beaver-restoration-program-to-fight-climate-change |access-date=Aug 5, 2023 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=September 7, 2022}}</ref> and the [[New York Times]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Einhorn |first1=Catrin |title=It Was War. Then, a Rancher's Truce With Some Pesky Beavers Paid Off. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/06/climate/climate-change-beavers.html?unlocked_article_code=rdbhHkEVr8elyDg3aJyyl1jjoNFXBPP0uD8vM-IkmSixEM3cBJlhSSqMwXNrEwneKbOlxhZHALJTFA9i6ubPBId0hVw4WSDE7gbD-hckdAhab0RPByLJlFsWa1qe1ymwhUdqjU1i68p3vuMWPFspMJm2QFLQnsy0Gb1U8YmfhLAYjdWIVXUvAyHgR_43RbTJukph0tQLA3ty7qJN8_UAa1tHj3UATxiMXtf39wiztk3Bdomr_91nhikoWeVWDUUunIoI7y92quOQL1HY1zoGM91xjXIgqhrxe0OmSpNIfWHJuEpvrixXWD-uZpRcqdRm4fE-2-cEGRqoGdPUQT1e7g&smid=share-url |access-date=Aug 5, 2023 |work=New York Times |date=September 6, 2022}}</ref> amongst others.

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Fairfax argues in her research that [[riverscape]] restoration and beaver conservation are necessary components of building landscape-scale climate resilience.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jordan |first1=Chris |last2=Fairfax |first2=Emily |title=Beaver: The North American freshwater climate action plan |journal=WIRES Water |date=April 2022 |volume=9 |issue=4 |url=https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1592}}</ref> She has testified before the Oregon State Legislature on the science of beaver-driven climate resilience and her studies are referenced in global, regional, and state-level land management planning documents.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Measures/Testimony/HB3464 |website=HB 3464 Testimony List |publisher=Oregon State Legislature |access-date=August 6, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Millman |first1=Katherine |title=Beaver Management Along Roads and Within the Rightof-Way: Report and Recommendations for the Colorado Department of Transportation |url=https://www.codot.gov/programs/environmental/assets/documents/cdotfinal_beaver_management_report_millman.pdf |access-date=August 6, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Spreading Like Wildfire: the Rise of Extraordinary Landscape Fires |url=https://www.unep.org/resources/report/spreading-wildfire-rising-threat-extraordinary-landscape-fires |publisher=United Nations Environment Programme}}</ref> Fairfax worked with a team of engineers from [[Google]] to build a machine-learning [[image recognition]] model called EEAGER (Earth Engine Automated Geospatial Element(s) Recognition) that can identify beaver dams in satellite and aerial imagery, in hopes of expediting the field of beaver research and the implementation of beaver-based restoration projects.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Fairfax |first1=Emily |last2=Zhu |first2=Eric |last3=Clinton |first3=Nicholas |last4=Maiman |first4=Stafania |last5=Shaikh |first5=Aman |last6=Macfarlane |first6=William |last7=Wheaton |first7=Joseph |last8=Ackerstein |first8=Dan |last9=Corwin |first9=Eddie |title=EEAGER: A Neural Network Model for Finding Beaver Complexes in Satellite and Aerial Imagery |journal=Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences |date=May 27, 2023 |volume=128 |issue=6 |url=https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2022JG007196}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Derouin |first1=Sarah |title=Mapping beaver dams with machine learning |url=https://phys.org/news/2023-06-beaver-machine.html |access-date=Aug 6, 2023 |publisher=Eos |date=June 16, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=EEAGER: A neural network model for finding beaver complexes in satellite and aerial imagery |url=https://research.google/pubs/pub52436/ |website=Publications |publisher=Google Research |access-date=August 6, 2023}}</ref>


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Fairfax argues in her research that [[riverscape]] restoration and beaver conservation are necessary components of building landscape-scale climate resilience.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Jordan |first1=Chris |last2=Fairfax |first2=Emily |title=Beaver: The North American freshwater climate action plan |journal=WIREs Water |date=April 2022 |volume=9 |issue=4 |doi=10.1002/wat2.1592 |bibcode=2022WIRWa...9E1592J |s2cid=250316459 |doi-access=free }}</ref> She has testified before the Oregon State Legislature on the science of beaver-driven climate resilience and her studies are referenced in global, regional, and state-level land management planning documents.<ref>{{cite web |title=HB 3464 Testimony List |url=https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Measures/Testimony/HB3464 |publisher=Oregon State Legislature |access-date=August 6, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Millman |first1=Katherine |title=Beaver Management Along Roads and Within the Rightof-Way: Report and Recommendations for the Colorado Department of Transportation |url=https://www.codot.gov/programs/environmental/assets/documents/cdotfinal_beaver_management_report_millman.pdf |access-date=August 6, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Spreading Like Wildfire: the Rise of Extraordinary Landscape Fires |date=22 February 2022 |url=https://www.unep.org/resources/report/spreading-wildfire-rising-threat-extraordinary-landscape-fires |publisher=United Nations Environment Programme}}</ref> Fairfax worked with a team of engineers from [[Google]] to build a machine-learning [[image recognition]] model called EEAGER (Earth Engine Automated Geospatial Element(s) Recognition) that can identify beaver dams in satellite and aerial imagery, in hopes of expediting the field of beaver research and the implementation of beaver-based restoration projects.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Fairfax |first1=Emily |last2=Zhu |first2=Eric |last3=Clinton |first3=Nicholas |last4=Maiman |first4=Stafania |last5=Shaikh |first5=Aman |last6=Macfarlane |first6=William |last7=Wheaton |first7=Joseph |last8=Ackerstein |first8=Dan |last9=Corwin |first9=Eddie |title=EEAGER: A Neural Network Model for Finding Beaver Complexes in Satellite and Aerial Imagery |journal=Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences |date=May 27, 2023 |volume=128 |issue=6 |doi=10.1029/2022JG007196 |bibcode=2023JGRG..12807196F |s2cid=258952955 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Derouin |first1=Sarah |title=Mapping beaver dams with machine learning |url=https://phys.org/news/2023-06-beaver-machine.html |access-date=Aug 6, 2023 |publisher=Eos |date=June 16, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=EEAGER: A neural network model for finding beaver complexes in satellite and aerial imagery |url=https://research.google/pubs/pub52436/ |website=Publications |publisher=Google Research |access-date=August 6, 2023}}</ref>


== Notable publications ==
== Notable publications ==
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* Fairfax, E. & Small, E. E. (2018), [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/eco.1993 Using remote sensing to assess the impact of beaver damming on riparian evapotranspiration in an arid landscape]. Ecohydrology 11(7). doi:10.1002/eco.1993
* Fairfax, E. & Small, E. E. (2018), [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/eco.1993 Using remote sensing to assess the impact of beaver damming on riparian evapotranspiration in an arid landscape]. Ecohydrology 11(7). doi:10.1002/eco.1993
* Jordan, C. E.† & Fairfax, E.†. (2022), [https://wires.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/wat2.1592 Beaver: The North American Freshwater Climate Action Plan]. WIREs Water. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1592
* Jordan, C. E.† & Fairfax, E.†. (2022), [https://wires.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/wat2.1592 Beaver: The North American Freshwater Climate Action Plan]. WIREs Water. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1592
* Fairfax, E., Clinton, N., Zhu, E., Maiman, S., Shaikh, A., Macfarlane, W., Wheaton, J., Ackerstein, D., Corwin, E. (2023). [https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2022JG007196 EEAGER: a neural network for finding beaver complexes in aerial and satellite imagery]. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences. doi:10.1029/2022JG007196
* Fairfax, E., Clinton, N., Zhu, E., Maiman, S., Shaikh, A., Macfarlane, W., Wheaton, J., Ackerstein, D., Corwin, E. (2023). [https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2022JG007196 EEAGER: a neural network for finding beaver complexes in aerial and satellite imagery]. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences. doi:10.1029/2022JG007196


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Latest revision as of 06:48, 27 December 2024

Emily Fairfax
EducationCarleton College (B.A.), University of Colorado Boulder (Ph.D.)
Occupation(s)Professor, ecohydrologist, beaver scientist, science communicator
EmployerUniversity of Minnesota
Known forResearch on beavers and wildfire, "Smokey the Beaver"
Websitehttps://www.emilyfairfaxscience.com

Emily Fairfax is an ecohydrologist, beaver researcher, and assistant professor of geography at the University of Minnesota. She is best known for her research describing how beavers create drought and wildfire resistant patches in the landscape. Fairfax and her research have been featured internationally in numerous written, radio, and television media programs about beavers.

Early life and education

[edit]

Fairfax double-majored in Chemistry and Physics as an undergraduate at Carleton College, then went on to earn her Ph.D. in Geology from the University of Colorado Boulder.[1] She was awarded a DoD NDSEG Fellowship for her doctoral studies, and completed graduate certificates in Hydrologic Sciences and in College Teaching while at the University of Colorado Boulder. Fairfax says that her interest in science developed at an early age—as a young child she told her that mother that wanted to walk on the rings of Saturn, but to not worry because she'd bring her car seat to be safe.[2] She was a Girl Scout growing up and spent significant time camping outdoors and leading canoe trips in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, which she says kindled her interest in environmental science and wetlands in particular.[3][4] She began to seriously think about beavers and their relationship to climate change when she watched the PBS documentary "Leave it to Beavers".[5]

Career

[edit]

Fairfax is an ecohydrologist, beaver expert, and science communicator. She was an assistant professor of Environmental Science and Resource Management at California State University Channel Islands from 2019 to 2023. In 2023, she started a new position as an assistant professor of Physical Geography at the University of Minnesota[6] and is affiliated with the Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory.[7] She was selected as an Environment Fellow by the Walton Family Foundation in 2024.[8] Fairfax received the G.K. Gilbert Award for Excellence in Geomorphological Research from the American Association of Geographers - Geomorphology Specialty Group in 2024.

Research

[edit]
See also: Environmental impacts of beavers

Fairfax studies how ecosystem engineering by beavers increases the drought and fire resistance of wetland and riparian ecosystems in North America. She primarily uses remote sensing, modeling, and field work to quantify changes in ecosystem health before, during, and after disturbances in areas with and without beaver activity. Her study titled "Smokey the Beaver: beaver-dammed riparian corridors stay green during wildfire throughout the western United States"[9] was the first scientific study to document beaver-created fire refugia and has garnered significant attention worldwide. Fairfax and this research have been featured in National Geographic,[10] BBC,[11][12] NPR,[13][14][15] PBS,[16][17] CBS News,[18] ABC News,[19] CBC News,[20] AP News,[21] Scientific American,[22][23] the Los Angeles Times,[24] and the New York Times,[25] amongst others.

Fairfax argues in her research that riverscape restoration and beaver conservation are necessary components of building landscape-scale climate resilience.[26] She has testified before the Oregon State Legislature on the science of beaver-driven climate resilience and her studies are referenced in global, regional, and state-level land management planning documents.[27][28][29] Fairfax worked with a team of engineers from Google to build a machine-learning image recognition model called EEAGER (Earth Engine Automated Geospatial Element(s) Recognition) that can identify beaver dams in satellite and aerial imagery, in hopes of expediting the field of beaver research and the implementation of beaver-based restoration projects.[30][31][32]

Notable publications

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Emily Fairfax". Natural Areas Association. NAA. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  2. ^ "Beaver dams and wildfire, a stop-motion demonstration". The Kids Should See This. February 18, 2019. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  3. ^ Kearns, Faith. "From being an engineer to researching nature's engineers". UC ANR Forest and Research Outreach. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  4. ^ Fairfax, Emily (March 7, 2019). "How a Beaver Became a Twitter Star". Edge Effects. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  5. ^ Kearns, Faith. "From being an engineer to researching nature's engineers". UC ANR Forest and Research Outreach. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  6. ^ "New faculty joining GES". UMN GES News. April 7, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  7. ^ "SAFL Affiliated Faculty". SAFL. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  8. ^ Foundation, Walton Family. "Ahead of Earth Day, Walton Family Foundation Announces Emily Fairfax and Meaghan Parker as New Environment Fellows". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  9. ^ Fairfax, Emily; Whittle, Andrew (September 2, 2020). "Smokey the Beaver: beaver-dammed riparian corridors stay green during wildfire throughout the western United States". Ecological Applications. 30 (8): e02225. Bibcode:2020EcoAp..30E2225F. doi:10.1002/eap.2225. PMID 32881199. S2CID 221475263.
  10. ^ Goldfarb, Ben. "How beavers became North America's best firefighter". National Geographic. Archived from the original on February 22, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  11. ^ "Our Changing Planet". BBC. April 12, 2023. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  12. ^ Blackman, Stuart. "Beavers' activities can create oases and limit spread of US wildfires". BBC Discover Wildlife. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  13. ^ "Beavers can teach researchers a thing or two about improving wildfire resistance". NPR Morning Edition. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  14. ^ "Beavers Build Ecosystems of Resilience". NPR Science Friday. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  15. ^ "How beavers are helping restore wetlands and create buffers against wildfires". NPR Morning Edition. July 31, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  16. ^ "Changing Planet: Beavers Help to Control California's Forest Fires". PBS. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  17. ^ "Want to Solve Wildfires and Drought? Leave it to BEAVERS!". PBS Terra. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  18. ^ Powell, Tori (August 31, 2022). "From pest to protector: How beavers are helping fight climate change". CBS Mornings. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  19. ^ "How beaver dams can help fight wildfires". ABC News. April 6, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  20. ^ "An unlikely ally in the face of wildfires and droughts: the humble beaver". CBC News: The Current. September 14, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  21. ^ Taxin, Amy (July 24, 2023). "California aims to tap beavers, once viewed as a nuisance, to help with water issues and wildfires". AP News. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  22. ^ Cusick, Daniel (July 11, 2022). "The Beaver Emerges as a 'Climate-Solving Hero'". Scientific American. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  23. ^ Whitcomb, Isobel (February 7, 2022). "Beaver Dams Help Wildfire-Ravaged Ecosystems Recover Long after Flames Subside". Scientific American. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  24. ^ Solis, Nathan (September 7, 2022). "California says the beaver can be superhero in fighting climate change". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  25. ^ Einhorn, Catrin (September 6, 2022). "It Was War. Then, a Rancher's Truce With Some Pesky Beavers Paid Off". New York Times. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  26. ^ Jordan, Chris; Fairfax, Emily (April 2022). "Beaver: The North American freshwater climate action plan". WIREs Water. 9 (4). Bibcode:2022WIRWa...9E1592J. doi:10.1002/wat2.1592. S2CID 250316459.
  27. ^ "HB 3464 Testimony List". Oregon State Legislature. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  28. ^ Millman, Katherine. "Beaver Management Along Roads and Within the Rightof-Way: Report and Recommendations for the Colorado Department of Transportation" (PDF). Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  29. ^ "Spreading Like Wildfire: the Rise of Extraordinary Landscape Fires". United Nations Environment Programme. February 22, 2022.
  30. ^ Fairfax, Emily; Zhu, Eric; Clinton, Nicholas; Maiman, Stafania; Shaikh, Aman; Macfarlane, William; Wheaton, Joseph; Ackerstein, Dan; Corwin, Eddie (May 27, 2023). "EEAGER: A Neural Network Model for Finding Beaver Complexes in Satellite and Aerial Imagery". Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences. 128 (6). Bibcode:2023JGRG..12807196F. doi:10.1029/2022JG007196. S2CID 258952955.
  31. ^ Derouin, Sarah (June 16, 2023). "Mapping beaver dams with machine learning". Eos. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  32. ^ "EEAGER: A neural network model for finding beaver complexes in satellite and aerial imagery". Publications. Google Research. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
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