Beavers gnawing along Tenmile Creek
By Janice Kurbjun Summit Daily News
When you stumble across a mountain pond, a thicket of willows or high alpine meadows, you’re typically looking at the work of a beaver. They’re critical for the green wetland areas we call riparian. Without them, the ecosystem can and did change dramatically.
Today, it’s a landscape of fast-flowing streams and invitingly open banks.
What it used to be before beavers were trapped to extremely low populations was a landscape of stopped-up water that brought life to arid mountain valleys. Evidence of that landscape on a small scale can be seen up the Swan River Valley, as Tiger Road turns into the dirt roads following the forks of the river. There, the stream slows to a trickle, evidencing an active beaver population. The valley is flooded with water, creating a green expanse between the rocky cliffs that surround.
Now that’s what I call a delightful beaver read! Janice discusses beaver controversy but makes it clear that beaver benefits are worth the challenge. No surprise. The article is from Colorado where they have personally had the benefit of the very most dynamic beaver teacher for decades. I just found this on Youtube from the recent Aspen Natualist Nights “Beaver: Nuisance or Opportunity?”. It may be longer than you have time for this morning, but I promise you it’s very, very worth it. There are lovely discussions of her work with Skip and the comments at the end about the injured beaver she rehabbed are among the most beautiful words I have ever heard.
On to more beaver goodness. This is a joyous beaver day! And lets just pause to say I got an email this morning from the city council of Yellow Knife thanking me for my email about how to protect trees. I’m hopeful that the information will help.
Beavers helping reshape Clinton nature sanctuary
By AMY NEFF ROTH Observer-Dispatch
“Studying a single colony for a prolonged length of time, and gauging their effect on a specific habitat has been and continues to be a fascinating endeavor,” Perry said. “Also, year to year, they continue to surprise me with some aspect of their behavior that I haven’t seen before.”
Their impact on the nature sanctuary is impossible to miss. They’ve turned two creeks into nine ponds, building at least 16 dams of varying sizes and three lodges.
The new wetlands – and resulting dead trees with nesting cavities – have drawn a variety of animals to the sanctuary, including wood ducks, hooded mergansers, herons, kingfishers, flycatchers, woodpeckers, turtles, trout and dragonflies.
As one woman who has also watched a single beaver colony impact a creek for 5 years, I can’t tell you how firmly I agree! This is a great article and a very delightful read. Spring Hill Farm Cares is a good friend of Beavers: Wetlands and Wildlife and has learned first hand from an excellent pair of teachers. They produce films for BWW and work hard to teach about their value in the ecosystem.
Perry knows that his days with the beavers are numbered. He’s surprised they’ve stayed this long and he knows they’ll leave once their food supply disappears. Looking at the poplars and pussy willows on the property, he gives them another couple years, he said.
Once the beavers go, their dams will start to leak. The ponds will dry up, creating silt-rich meadows. But as the trees grow back, more beavers will probably come.
Until then, Perry will study other colonies, but he’ll miss these beavers. “Definitely, when they leave, our nature preserve will be a bit like a house after the children have grown up and moved away,” he said. “We will miss them and also the ponds that they so faithfully maintained.”
We are NOT going to talk about that (she sniffed crisply), but go enjoy the great read anyway and I’m thinking Matt might need a little wine tasting vacation in the Napa Valley around the first of August? What a great beaver end to memorial day weekend!
