Beavers in Argentina

While exploring Tierra del Fuego National Park, Scouts saw firsthand the dramatic environmental damage caused by introduced North American beavers — an important and eye-opening part of the journey. Originally brought to the region in the 1940s for fur trading, beavers have no natural predators in Tierra del Fuego, and their unchecked population has devastated the landscape. Scouts hiked through areas where once-pristine forests had been flooded and killed by beaver dams, leaving behind ghostly stands of dead trees and radically altered waterways. It was a powerful lesson in how invasive species can impact ecosystems over time.

This real-world example of environmental disruption gave Scouts the chance to actively engage with conservation science. Many worked on requirements for merit badges like Environmental Science, Forestry, and Fish & Wildlife Management, or advanced Venturing awards such as the Ranger Conservation or Ecology electives. Observing the beavers’ impact in real time helped Scouts connect abstract concepts to visible consequences — and inspired deeper conversations about how we protect and restore natural habitats around the world.