Linus Pauling Middle School students Nick Hentzel, center, and J.D. Pinion, right, join parent-volunteer Tessa Hanover as they paddle through the waters of Clemens Mill Pond while taking part in the 2012 Newton Creek Wetlands Stewardship Field Day on Tuesday morning

Learning afloat

By Raju Woodward, Corvallis Gazette-Times

Students use canoes to learn more about beavers and habitat

PHILOMATH — If you want to learn about beavers, you want to be able to take a close look at the semi-aquatic rodents and their habitat. So what better way to learn about the creatures than by canoe?

So it was on Tuesday that sixth-grade students from Linus Pauling Middle School donned life jackets, grabbed paddles and made their way around Clemens Mill Pond in canoes. They weren’t disappointed.

“We saw like six beaver lodges!,” said sixth-grader Julia Harrington. “It was cool to see them up close instead of just hearing about them in a classroom.”

Can I go to school there? What a great idea! One is so rarely jealous of sixth graders, but this does the trick! Gosh did you ever think about having a beaver festival in Corvalis? We could maybe have coffee. Apparently this is part of the Mary’s River Watershed Wetland Stewardship Field Day event. Kids spend 45 minutes at 12 different stations!

But the most popular station appeared to be the beavers and canoeing station, especially with Tuesday’s sunny and warm weather. “This one was my favorite because it involved so much activity,” said Rosa Mendoza. “We were always moving and doing something.”

Also, for some students it marked the first time they had been in a canoe. In addition to studying beaver habitats, students learned canoe safety procedures and how to use paddles to move canoes effectively.

“The hardest part was sitting down inside the canoe,” said Zack Plawman. “It felt like we might tip over into the water. But after that it was fine.”

Ahh the tippy canoe! Nothing quite replaces it. Congratulations for learning so much about canoeing and beavers! Of course the french vouyageurs used canoes to ruthlessly pursue millions of beavers while bellowing out jaunty songs to regulate paddle pace…

But as a woman who has traversed many, many river miles by canoe over the past two decades I can tell you that it still happens to be a great way to understand beavers.