Every now and then, the universe just throws a curve ball and you are left scratching your head and saying “wh-a-a-a-a?”. Sometimes the curve ball comes from a pitcher you’d never expect. Like for instance the Metro park system in Portland who we have praised many, many, times on this very website. As far as urban parks and beavers go, they are the apex, the top of the hill.

Until this.

Like all curve balls it starts out so well. A straight shot with good things to offer. My ears perk up and I physically lean into the pitch.

Beavers are redefining the landscape at Smith and Bybee Lake Wetlands Natural Area

Leave it to beavers.

That’s what Metro scientists are doing to restore wetlands and the channel that connects The beavers do most of the work, with an assist from Metro regional parks.

See isn’t that a great start? A park system that recognizes the importance of beavers and the way they help. It’s like sinking into to a comfortable bath that’s just the right temperature. Ahhhh…and then…

It turns out beaver and nutria — the former is native, the latter invasive — work together building dams. And that’s a problem along the channel that connects Smith and Bybee lakes.

“Nutria will help beavers build those dams,” said Elaine Stewart, a Metro resource scientist. “They will tunnel into the side of banks in the channel and take that mud and pack the mud onto beaver dams. It made for a lot of trouble dismantling them to restore the water flow of the channel.”

Nutria help beavers build dams? Nutria carry mud from their excavations to place on dams? If that were true nutria must have the very worst press secretary EVER. Oregon Fish and Wildlife calls them a “Negative keystone species” because what they do harms everyone equally.

And the ‘scientist’ said it on the news. Fake News! Fake News!

Signs of beaver activity are everywhere. From slides and trails to a new, wide dam.

“It’s almost entirely the work of beavers,” Stewart said. “You can see that because it’s almost all wood. There’s very little mud.“

Right.

Because everyone knows beavers never use mud to hold things together. Only the nutria use the mud. Which makes it so hard to rip the dams apart. I know these things because I’m a scientist and I attended a class on beavers.

You don’t think I missed anything when I fell asleep do ya?

Those photos don’t mean anything. The beaver could have been imitating what he learned from the nutria. I’m sure the beavers are just trying something new that day. Beavers don’t use mud. Nutria use mud I’m telling you. Look at my name tag, I’m a scientist!

Well we have a film too. A night time film. With music. Because we know what they’re talking about. Beavers building dams. And nutria…well…right there. You can see for yourself…

Night Moves: Beavers and Nutria Build a Dam from oregonmetro on Vimeo.

I’ve watched this film over and over and I don’t see the nutria lifting a finger, or claw. You let me know if I missed the frame where they pick up the trowel, will you?