Mock up of the Beaverlodge beaver, lit up in green. (photo courtesy of Tourism Ireland)

By Liam Verster

ST. Patricks Day Celebration

Beaver statue joins Tourism Ireland’s ‘Global Greening’ line-up

Feb 27, 2020 | 1:33 PM

The world’s largest beaver statue, located in the Town of Beaverlodge, is one of the new additions to the annual ‘Global Greening’ line-up.

‘Global Greening’ is an initiative launched by Tourism Ireland, to mark St. Patrick’s Day around the world, by putting a green spotlight on world renown attractions and landmarks.

Mayor of Beaverlodge, Gary Rycroft, says Tourism Ireland had written a letter to the Town, asking if they wanted to be involved in the event this year, by lighting up the giant beaver in green.

“It didn’t take very long to figure out that would be kind of fun. So, between their tourism people and the Town of Beaverlodge, we figured out how to do it, and away we go.”

The giant beaver statue is already lit up with LED lights, which Rycroft says are programmable, and can change colour. He says they have had the beaver lit up in green once before, to honour those lost in the Humbolt Bronco’s bus crash.

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Rycroft says it’s an honour for the town to be recognized and involved in this event, though he adds the statue has already brought a lot of attention to the town in the past.

“When we put the beaver in, it was an immediate success. We were in television commercials, and the Stanley Cup has even been there and taken its picture with the beaver. It does draw a lot of attention, and it’s a lot of fun to be a part of it.”

The ‘Global Greening’ initiative began in 2010, when the Sydney Opera House was lit up in green. In the years since, it has grown to include close to 500 landmarks, monuments, and buildings around the world.

Tourism Ireland has released a list of the iconic sites that have confirmed their involvement this year. The attractions that will be lit up in green include High Level Bridge in Edmonton, the Calgary Tower, Niagara Falls, Madison Square Garden, the Empire State Building, the Eiffel Tower replica in Las Vegas, The London Eye, Kissing Couple XXXL statue, in Amsterdam, Netherlands, the Abu Dhabi University in the United Arab Emirates, and many, many more. A full list of the participating locations can be found here.