5th Annual Build Like A Beaver 2026

Build Like A Beaver (BLAB) is Cal-PBR’s annual hands-on training in process-based restoration. Now in its fifth year, BLAB 2026 brings participants to Tásmam Koyóm for four days of field study focused on learning how to work with natural processes to restore degraded waterscapes to dynamic, self-renewing systems that rehydrate soils and improve groundwater storage, support biodiversity, increase fire resiliency, and help landscapes adapt to a changing climate.

Participants will explore PBR as an approach that weaves together landscape context and understanding, planning, design, implementation, and ongoing stewardship — not just building structures in a creek, although there will be plenty of that, too. The training emphasizes that PBR is an art, a science, and a technical craft, and that the balance of these is essential to successful projects.

Morning coffee and evening meals are provided, and it is a great way to deepen your understanding of PBR and make connections with others involved in this work.

BLAB 2026 has room for 50 participants: 35 general registrations at $325, and 15 registrations offered at no cost to members of Native American Tribes and their employees.

This training has filled every year, and interest continues to outrun the space we have. If you have attended a BLAB in the past, we ask you to wait until September 1, 2026 to register, so that people who have not yet been through the training have first access to the general places. We would be glad to have you back, and making room for newcomers is a large part of how this work keeps moving through the network.

We also ask organizations to send a small group rather than a large one. Part of what makes this training work is the range of people in the meadow — agencies, tribes, nonprofits, and private practitioners all learning the same techniques side by side. No more than three from any one organization keeps that mix intact.

No cost Tribal registrations are limited and are not listed on this page. To request one, contact Paige Tomson, Training Coordinator, at events@calpbr.org. You will be sent a registration code to enter at checkout. Each Tribal organization may register up to three participants at no cost.

Registrations for general registration spots are limited to three per order.

BLAB 2026 is designed for people who are serious about learning and applying process-based restoration in professional settings. The training is welcoming to participants who are newer to these concepts, while offering a strong technical and field-based experience for people involved in PBR planning, design, permitting, implementation, monitoring, and long-term stewardship - including practitioners, land and project managers, Tribal partners, agency staff, and others who want to learn with and from a community of peers.

BLAB 2026 will be held at Tásmam Koyóm, the Maidu name for the valley also commonly known as Humbug Valley, on Mountain Maidu homeland and Plumas National Forest in Plumas County, California. Yellow Creek, the main water channel running through this large meadow landscape, provides an active and meaningful setting for learning about restoration, stewardship, and long-term ecological recovery.

• A mix of lecture-style instruction, small-group breakout sessions, discussion, field tours, and hands-on learning.

• Camping onsite for three nights. Bring your preferred camp setup and be prepared for cold nights — snow is possible at this elevation in October.

• Extensive walking each day over uneven meadow and stream terrain. This training covers a large landscape, some field days involve walking miles at a time, and the hands-on build portion is walk-in. Good mobility and comfort traveling on uneven ground are important for full participation.

• Working in and around moving water. Expect to get wet and muddy.

• Meals: morning coffee and an organic dinner are provided each day, with a vegetarian option every night. Participants are responsible for their own breakfast and lunch.

• Course content may change depending on site conditions, access, and other unforeseen logistics — please be prepared to be flexible. It’s a process, after all.

The training is taught in two parts:

Part 1 — Pre-training webinar. One live online session held the week before the field training, with a recording made available afterward for those unable to attend.

Part 2 — Four-day field training, October 7–10, 2026. A hands-on learning experience where we build connections to the floodplain - and to the network - while helping complete an ambitious, large-scale restoration project.

We do ask that you attend the entire training, as each session and concept builds on the next.

Registrants will receive a comprehensive packing list before the event. Plan for:

• Waders. Chest or hip waders. You should be prepared to work in water up to waist deep - and even where the water isn’t that deep, it will be cold. October weather here is unpredictable, ranging from warm afternoons to snow, and staying warm and dry is a large part of how much you get out of a field day.

• Footwear that can get wet. Muck boots, wading boots with rubber soles, or synthetic hiking boots. Leather boots will turn to soup.

• Gloves. Simple chore or gardening gloves with rubber palms and fabric backs. Leather gloves will not survive.

• Protective eyewear. Required — there is nothing worse than getting poked in the eye with a sharp stick.

• Camp gear. Three nights outdoors in October at elevation. Snow is a possibility.

• Your own breakfast and lunch, plus water. Morning coffee and dinner are provided.

This is what we consider acceptable gear; if you make a different choice, it is at your own risk.

Please review these commitments so you know what BLAB 2026 asks of you.

• This is a field-based training with onsite camping, uneven terrain, and extensive walking.

• Full participation requires comfort working outdoors in variable weather and in moving water.

• Emergency contact information is required during registration.

• Dietary needs are collected during registration, so give them some thought before you begin. Dinners include a vegetarian option each night, and many common needs can be accommodated — though we may not be able to avoid things such as nut allergies, and we will contact you directly if necessary.

• You will review and sign the liability waiver during registration.

• General registration is $325, which includes a non-refundable $15 processing and ticketing fee. Payment by credit card is required to complete registration.

• Tribal registrations are offered at no cost and are not shown on this page. Contact events@calpbr.org for a registration code before you begin.

• No order may include more than three registrations, and each Tribal organization may register up to three participants.

• Please review the refund and cancellation policy before submitting payment.

• Maps, the full packing list, webinar access, and detailed logistics are shared after you register.

Refunds are issued to the original payment method and are processed within 10 business days of approval.

Transfers

You may transfer your registration to another person at any time, at no cost. The substitute attendee must meet any event requirements and agree to this policy. Transfers do not require a reason and are not subject to the deadlines above.

Emergency exception

If you cancel during the September 8–23 window due to illness or injury (yours or an immediate family member’s), a medical emergency or hospitalization, a death in the immediate family, or another major unforeseen life event such as a family emergency, jury duty, or military deployment, you receive the full $310 refund instead of the 50% amount. Reasonable supporting documentation may be requested.

Event cancellation & force majeure

If the organizer cancels the event, or if it is cancelled, postponed, or relocated due to circumstances beyond our control — including wildfire, smoke, flood, severe weather, road closures, public health orders, or site access restrictions — registrants receive a full refund less any non-recoverable costs. Our liability is limited to the registration fee paid and does not extend to travel, lodging, or other incidental expenses.

By completing registration you agree to this policy. Questions may be directed to events@calpbr.org.