Amelia says it’s her favorite cover ever, I saw it’s pretty dam wonderful, doesn’t it make you want to start searching for the key right now? Now it goes off to Bay Nature so that it can appear as an ad in their April issue and tell all those nature folks to JOIN US!

This morning there’s pleasant beaver news from Washington State, which is trying hard not to be too alarmed about beavers in their city parks. They do better than most, I can tell you!

Beavers are active in Mercer Island’s Luther Burbank Park

Before snow blanketed the city’s parks, visitors to Luther Burbank on Mercer Island noticed some other phenomena of nature, including fallen tree branches and gnawed-on trunks near the shore and wetlands.

The 77-acre park on the shores of Lake Washington is a rest stop for many species of migratory birds, and is home to at least one family of beavers. Islanders have recently noticed their handiwork on some of the Poplar trees near the shoreline.

Kim Frappier, the city’s natural resources specialist, said that she and the park’s urban forestry specialist “are monitoring the beaver activity within the park and working to both protect the beaver’s habitat as well as take measures to protect high value trees along the shoreline.”

Isn’t that just Washington all over! They’re trying to protect the trees AND the beavers. Except of course how can you be “Trying”? The trees aren’t wrapped or painted with sand. Are you trying to protect them with warding spells or something? With positive energy? Maybe thoughts and prayers?

Much of Luther Burbank Park has been left undeveloped to foster a variety of wildlife, including 135 species of birds, 50 species of waterfowl, raccoons, beaver, muskrats, tree frogs and rabbits. Many of these animals live in the wetlands that occupy the north and south ends of the park.

“Please help us protect our long-toothed furry neighbors by staying on established trails, protecting and respecting their habitat, and observing them from a distance,” Frappier wrote.

Hmm. I guess all those are good things, although I don’t suppose a beaver much cares if you stay on established trails or pick your soda bottle for that matter. I assume you knew this was coming or that it happened before? That tree on the right loos like a delicious aspen or alder so I’m sure this happened before.

Since Luther park about 10 miles from NOAA fisheries and Michael Pollock I’m thinking those beavers have a better than average chance of survival. But I’ve been wrong before.