In the Tracks of Beavers

A Franco-Polish journalistic Journey

A viral meme, a controversial remark by the Polish prime minister, and a Franco-Polish student collaboration: beavers were at the heart of an unusual yet revealing journalistic adventure — from early research obstacles to on-the-ground reporting, explaining in a video documentary their impact on ecosystems and people.

By Aleksandra MIERZWA and Kacper ZIELENIAK

Our “contact with beavers” began when we received an email inviting students to participate in an international project. The École supérieure de journalisme de Lille (ESJ Lille) in France and Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań launched a joint initiative aimed at creatively integrating young journalism students from both countries. The project involved twelve French students working in three-person teams (with two AMU students each) from January to March, collaborating on gathering materials, seeking contacts, and finally producing reports addressing a broad range of social, cultural, historical, and political topics. Approved projects included articles, podcasts, and numerous video materials. The final result took the form of cartes postales (French for “postcards”), covering various subjects: from the situation of LGBTQ+ people in Poznań, to the city’s iconic St. Martin’s croissants, to apostasy and youth in the Catholic Church. On the Polish side, the project was supervised by Prof. Agnieszka Stępińska, Dr. Beata Użarowska, and Dr. Weronika Dopierała-Kalińska from the Faculty of Political Science and Journalism.

Our team was joined by Arthur Carn, a student from coastal Normandy studying at ESJ Lille and a budding journalist working for the Franco-German TV station ARTE, based in picturesque Strasbourg. Before his arrival in Poland in the first week of March, we had a few introductory chats on WhatsApp, during which we began laying the groundwork for our project.

The idea for a video report with beavers as the main characters might seem unusual and, at first glance, not very typical of Poznań or Poland. Still, it struck us as interesting, unique, and ambitious enough that we decided to go with it. But where did the idea come from? Were we inspired by scientific research? Statistics? Personal experiences or interests? The reason was far more mundane. Arthur told us how a short video of a Polish man finding a live beaver on the road, picking it up, and yelling with excessive expression, “Bóbr, kurwa!” (“Beaver, f**k!”), had inspired him to make a documentary about the animal. We had no idea the meme had made it all the way to France. What’s more, during the tragic floods in the fall of last year, Prime Minister Donald Tusk inadvertently “blamed” the beavers for the hydrological threat —an accusation he quickly retracted. That, too, crossed the Rhine and, together with the memes, sparked Arthur’s journalistic curiosity.

Dams Don't Build Themselves Overnight

Before Arthur’s arrival in Poland, our three-person team began a determined search for experts who could appear in the documentary and help us understand the role of beavers in the ecosystem. At first, there seemed to be no shortage of contacts. We were alternating between sending emails and making calls to various organizations, activists, hunters, government institutions, and scientists specializing in this area.

Our shared enthusiasm was dampened by the lack of responses. Repeated emails and phone follow-ups didn’t yield the desired results, leading to growing frustration and discussions about possibly changing our topic — from beavers to flooding in Lower Silesia. At one point, we practically started from scratch, searching for new contacts and even potential accommodation in the places we planned to visit. Ironically, just a week before Arthur arrived, our inbox suddenly flooded with positive replies. The project we had put so much work into was finally back on track, and it led us to some truly unique places.

First up: an excursion to Szachty. This vast area on the southern outskirts of Poznań is filled with water reservoirs that formed when old clay pits from local brickyards flooded. Today, nature has reclaimed what was once an industrial site. For locals, it’s a perfect walking spot. While wandering among the reeds, we came across fallen trees and intricately gnawed trunks. Some looked like medieval weaponry. Conversations with passersby revealed that beavers not only live in Szachty, but also in other parts of Poznań, such as Sołacki Park. That’s where we headed next. In the historic interiors of the Zoology Department at the University of Life Sciences in Poznań, we met with Professor Tadeusz Mizera, an ornithology expert who also studies beavers. As a student, he participated in the reintroduction of this protected species to the Greater Poland region. Just a few decades ago, beavers in Poland were only found in the northeastern fringes. The professor shared statistics indicating that there are now around 100,000 beavers in Poland. Beavers have become widespread — not just in remote forest areas. More and more, they encounter signs of human activity, and not all humans welcome them.