International Beaver Day2026 · Date · History · Messages
The Smithsonian’s National Zoo identifies 7 April as International Beaver Day, and a current municipal conservation notice also recognizes the date.
About International Beaver Day
International Beaver Day is observed on April 7 as a beaver-conservation and public-awareness day.
Sources trace the observance to the nonprofit Beavers: Wetlands & Wildlife (BWW).
Why International Beaver Day matters
The day highlights the ecological role of beavers and wetlands and also honors Dorothy Richards, the naturalist and educator known as the “Beaver Woman.”
The project distinguishes the reported 2008 designation decision from the reported first public campaign in 2009.
History of International Beaver Day
Sources attribute International Beaver Day to Beavers: Wetlands & Wildlife.
The organization’s board is reported to have selected April 7 in 2008 in honor of Dorothy Richards’s birthday.
Conservation coverage identifies 2009 as the inaugural public celebration, including distribution of educational materials to schools.
Smithsonian and other institutional sources continue to recognize April 7 as International Beaver Day.
How the observance developed
This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.
Beavers: Wetlands & Wildlife (BWW)
Conservation sources attribute the observance to the nonprofit BWW.
Board of Beavers: Wetlands & Wildlife
BWW board designation / public-awareness campaign
First documented observance
Independent conservation coverage describes 2009 as the inaugural celebration and reports BWW’s educational-material distribution that year.
Beavers: Wetlands & Wildlife
BWW maintains public-awareness materials for International Beaver Day; institutional sources also independently recognize the date.
What the evidence establishes
Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.
2 fields not established in reviewed sources
How to Observe International Beaver Day
Learn how beavers create and maintain wetland habitat.
Visit a beaver habitat responsibly without disturbing wildlife or dams.
Use conservation-organization resources to understand coexistence with beavers.
Share accurate information about beavers’ ecological effects and local management practices.
International Beaver Day Facts
International Beaver Day is April 7.
The originating organization is Beavers: Wetlands & Wildlife.
The date honors Dorothy Richards, whose birthday was April 7.
Sources distinguish a 2008 designation decision from a 2009 inaugural public celebration.
The observance is a conservation-awareness initiative, not an intergovernmental day.
International Beaver Day Messages
Happy International Beaver Day—may it inspire curiosity about wetlands and the species that shape them.
Celebrating beavers today as remarkable ecosystem engineers and wetland builders.
May International Beaver Day encourage practical, science-based coexistence with beavers.
Today is a good day to learn how beavers influence water, habitat and biodiversity.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Evidence & sources
Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.
Beavers: Wetlands & Wildlife — International Beaver Day (opens in a new tab)
Smithsonian’s National Zoo — International Beaver Day (opens in a new tab)
National Institution
Town of Harvard, Massachusetts — International Beaver Day (opens in a new tab)
Local Government
Kiwa — April 7: International Beaver Day (opens in a new tab)
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.
Frequently asked questions
When is International Beaver Day?
7 April The documented recurrence rule is: 7 April.
Does International Beaver Day fall on the same date every year?
Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.
Is International Beaver Day an official public holiday?
The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: International / beaver conservation awareness. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes International Beaver Day?
The reviewed sources identify Board of Beavers: Wetlands & Wildlife as the proclaiming or establishing body. The proposer or originator is recorded separately as Beavers: Wetlands & Wildlife (BWW). Current facilitation or coordination is recorded as Beavers: Wetlands & Wildlife.
Is International Beaver Day international or country-specific?
The documented scope is international or global: International / beaver conservation awareness. That does not mean every country treats the date as a public holiday or observes it in the same way.
How is this page verified?
The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-08.
When is International Beaver Day?
It is observed on April 7.
Who started International Beaver Day?
Reviewed conservation sources attribute it to Beavers: Wetlands & Wildlife.
Was it founded in 2008 or 2009?
The evidence supports a distinction: the organization’s board is reported to have selected the day in 2008, while 2009 is described as the inaugural public celebration.
Other observances on April 7
These observances are also listed on April 7, 2027.
Childhelp National Day of Hope
Childhelp; congressional recognition cited by the organizer
International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda
A/RES/58/234
Karume Day
United Republic of Tanzania government sources
Motherhood and Beauty Day
Armenia’s current holidays/remembrance law states that Motherhood and Beauty Day is observed on April 7. Historical ARLIS texts show a 1994 establishing decision and later removal of the no…
Mozambican Women’s Day (Dia da Mulher Moçambicana)
Mozambique’s Government Portal lists 7 April as Dia da Mulher Moçambicana and links the holiday to remembrance of Josina Machel.
National Beer Day
The Brewers Association lists National Beer Day on 7 April 2026 and explains that it commemorates the Cullen-Harrison Act taking effect on 7 April 1933.