So yesterday I was excited about seeing beavers be cozy on the lodge cam from the Tongass National Forest. I realized that I should check with Beaver friend Bob Armstrong to make sure he knew about it. Bob is the author and photographer behind the Beavers of Mendenhall Glacier Book, and the steadfast volunteer that got a team together to remove dams and debris when it looked like the local US Forestry group was ready to exterminate. He arranged to bring Mike Callahan out and show him the area, and Mike wrote a Comprehensive Beaver Management Plan for humane dealing with flooding problems without impacting salmon. Bob met Lory and her husband on their trip to Juneau and showed them around the habitat. And what’s more, he gave me the photo that has been my screen saver for the past two+ years.
It’s the beginnings of a beaver dam in front of the Mendenhall Glacier with the sun rising in the back. Every single time I look on this photo I am struck with wonder. I haven’t been tempted by a single other desktop image since I’ve had it. I think because it has everything I want in the ‘dimensional portal’ that should be a desktop. Something familiar that you know and love (the dam) and something exotic and awesome, that you are frightened and inspired by (the glacier). I love this photo for every possible reason.
Well guess what Bob replied about the lodge cam?
Thanks Heidi, yes I am aware of it. Our beaver patrol has worked hard with the forest service to conserve this area and lodge. This winter the pond is now frozen and they have a great cache of food out in front of the lodge. The dam photo you liked was built by beavers from this lodge. And by the way they now have a successful dam in the same spot. Bob
Did you get that? The beavers on the lodge cam are the VERY beavers that build the dam in this lovely photo that greets me every morning when I turn on the computer. I couldn’t be happier at the coincidence, (I thought I might have recognized familiar brilliance in the eye of the beaver I saw yesterday). With Mike’s tools they now have been allowed a successful dam in the area and it creates a fantastic (frozen) pool where they have laid a nice food cache for the winter. (One beaver on camera was happily stripping bark from a stick this morning. Later he was covered in water droplets, that were obviously not freezing inside the lodge.)
Bob, I’m so happy for your message! I have implored Scott to see if he can find a way to embed the webcam on our site, and he is now a man with a mission. Thank you, Bob, for your fantastic work and for your beautiful book. Here’s the site of the camera again in case you want to see what the snowbound beavers are up to!
