The rose-colored beaver glasses of late September have withered to a much more fullsome beaver picture. Mostly the superheroes are still regarded as pests. But sometimes a few folk still rally for them. Go figure.
This was an admirable letter on their behalf from Canada.
Letter: City of Airdrie shouldn’t kill its beavers
Nose Creek starts by Crossfield and flows to the Bow River with a watershed of 989 KM2. It flows through Airdrie and it was a small prairie creek. The City of Airdrie put in several dams creating some beautiful ponds that any beaver family would be proud of. As the story goes “if you build it, they will come” and come they did.
We live in Waterstone on the creek and love watching all the people and wildlife who enjoy the path and waterway. The pond was built and the beaver came and were welcomed, building a lodge and raised countless families over the years.
But this wonder of nature comes at a cost. As well all know, beavers eat bark. So we lose a tree or two each year – especially in the fall, when they put up a winter supply of food to get through until the spring.
Now, this is not a natural pond or a habitat for beavers, as there is no forest for them. Yet the pond is there and they do live there, much to the enjoyment of many who stop to watch them on a summer’s evening.
Two years ago, the City of Airdrie’s parks officials decided to kill them. But the shock of local residents got them to stop this and they decided to give a shot at being good stewards. Wire fencing went up around the trees to limit the food source. The beavers did just fine, raising more families and entertaining the park goers.
Well that certainly sounds promising. Wrapping trees with wire is good business for people who know that beavers are busy making habitat for all the wildlife. Maybe if you added a couple weekends where the community plants willow stakes you’d be in business.
Yes, they did eat a tree or two each year and the City planted trees but not the kind that beaver need. Now one could say that was poorly thought out. And maybe, we could live in harmony with the beaver and plant something they needed and are beautiful to watch grow like a Brooks No. 6 Poplar. This poplar grows very fast, has no white fluff like a cottonwood, and grows huge in 30 years. The park has a lot of space for this food source. But you would have to be good stewards, keep them from falling where you don’t want them to, and take the wire off a couple old trees each year.
But no, being a good steward and living in harmony with wildlife is too hard. “Let’s just kill them” and hope they don’t come back. And if they do, we’ll just keep killing them.
Does that sound like a good steward and a society you want to raise your family around? The beavers keep trying in hopes that we will find better stewards for our community.
Everyone should know that the very best time to plant a tree was 30 years ago. The next best time to plant is today.
Good advice for the city. But take it yourselves. Get a community organization to take it on. Organize a weekend of planting willow cuttings or fascines. Get the city to approve it, put a boy or girl scout in charge. Call the media and get some adorable photos of children digging holes run on the evening news, ‘
This is all doable. You are the change you’ve been waiting for.
Now onto the worst of times in Ohio where killing beavers is sooo much fun they have to hold a lottery to find out who gets the privilege.
Lottery for river otter, beaver trapping is Oct. 8
COLUMBUS — Beaver and river otter trapping permits on managed areas for the 2022-23 season will be issued via in-person lotteries Oct. 8, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.
A permit is required to trap beaver and river otter on state-managed areas, including wildlife areas, state parks and state forests. A complete list of available trapping permits is available on the Controlled Hunting Access Lotteries page at wildohio.gov.
Drawings will occur at noon at each division of wildlife district office. Office locations can be found at wildohio.gov. Each permittee may select one partner to accompany them for the duration of the season. Beaver and river otter trapping lotteries are grouped by region; trappers may apply in only one district (central, northeast, northwest, southeast, southwest). Beaver and river otter trapping permits are valid from Dec. 26 to Feb. 28, 2023.
Seriously? The trap allows you to kill beavers and otters in state parks? What if you decided that hey people like to SEE wildlife in the park when they visit. What if you DIDN’T kill them? Hmm now we just need a couple undercover PETA members to show up to those offices and win the raffles. Doesn’t sound to hard does it?
Good lord. Surviving in this world with redevelopment and traffic and fires and destroyed trees is ALREADY a lottery. Stop making their lives more difficult.
