On Friday, Feb. 24, from 6- 8 p.m. at Midcoast Conservancy in Wiscasset, beaver expert, inventor and entrepreneur Skip Lisle of Beaver Deceivers International will discuss how to install deceivers and other devices designed to protect human infrastructure, wetlands and beavers. His presentation will also cover the indispensable ecological role beavers play in maintaining healthy ecosystems.

“The assumption is that we cannot outsmart beavers so we have to kill them,” Lisle said. “I’ve spent my life inventing and installing a number of devices that permanently outmaneuver beavers. I’ve helped communities across the country and in Poland save huge sums of money, and wetlands in the process.”

Lisle’s talk will demonstrate how towns can save thousands of dollars by permanently protecting roads and culverts from beavers. He will also cover the history of beavers in Maine, and the essential role they play in creating habitat and maintaining healthy aquatic systems. “I don’t know how many people understand just how important beavers are ecologically. Without beavers we basically wouldn’t have wetlands. We can coexist with them, it just takes some creativity and commitment.”

Lisle will share his knowledge about wetlands, and explain how beavers keep wetlands functioning.

“Many people do not know that wetlands are one of the richest habitats, with a greater density of life than anywhere else on land,” Lisle said. “We have to approach the problems we have with beavers intelligently. It is our obligation as stewards. But, we also need to be smart with our money. The human and machine hours it takes to constantly repair roads, destroy dams and kill beavers is really a squandering of public funds. And, it never solves the problem because beavers will always return to the site.”

Lisle serves as Selectman in his hometown of Grafton, Vermont, where deceivers are a line item in the budget, and all roads are fully beaver-proof.

For more information, or to register for the talk, go to midcoastconservancy.org/events/beaver-ecology-talk/ or call (207) 389-5150. For more information on Beaver Deceivers International, go to http://www.beaverdeceivers.com/