Things aren’t exactly looking up for beavers all over. They may have been casually welcomed in a National park in Canada – but it’s in that same suspicious way that a well-dressed black woman might be treated at the mall in Iowa. No one is telling them to leave, but eyes are strained and just waiting for trouble. Fundy Park is north west of Maine and sports the highest tides of in Canada at a whopping 50 feet. There are over 25 falls and miles of coastline and as many hiking trails.
Oh and beavers.
Beavers’ move into new area of Fundy National Park not a concern, park ecologist says
While the beavers haven’t posed a safety risk yet, staff at Fundy National Park are keeping a close eye on a new area some juvenile beavers have claimed as their own. The beavers have taken up residence in Dixon Brook, which runs through the park’s golf course.
“They have built dams there, created a lodge and have been an interesting thing for people to observe,” said park ecologist, Becky Graham.
Park officials think this group of beavers is made up of juveniles that left the MacLaren’s Pond area to set up a new home.
“When beavers are two years old they typically would leave their natal site, where they were raised, and branch out on their own.”
Hmmm good explaining Becky, the beavers did the right thing by hiring you as their counsel. Yes yearling do generally move on, unless they found a cushy golfcourse with a ready-made pond. Then they might just stick around a while.
Graham said the beavers have cut down some trees and vegetation along the brook to build dams and lodges, but she said that’s a natural process.
“That is beavers doing exactly what they’re designed to do in an ecosystem.”
Graham said that when beavers change the habitat and turn faster-flowing water into a pond, it can increase the biodiversity of the area.
This means native species will grow up in behind the trees that were cut and a natural succession process will start.While the water is higher in some areas, it hasn’t spilled over the banks of the brook yet, Graham said.
“Our main priority is always human safety and wildlife safety and there have been no issues so far and no threats to infrastructure so far.”
Becky is doing a good job spinning the news and calming ruffled feathers, but we’re talking 150 miles from Nova Scotia. Not a great place for progressive beaver management. I suppose it could work out fine, but I’m not holding my breath.
Graham said park staff will ontinue to monitor but haven’t seen anything that is too concerning so far. Staff are able to keep a close eye on what the beavers are doing on Dixon Brook because of its close proximity to park headquarters. A monitoring system is used to track other beavers throughout the park.
“We actually look for active food caches in the winter and the late fall, and that tells us how many sites the beavers are currently using.”
Moving or relocating beavers from one area to another is quite difficult, said Graham.”There would be nothing to stop another group of beavers from coming right in behind them.”
It’s also stressful on the animals to be trapped and relocated.
“Given that there’s no threat to human safety or species at risk or infrastructure or anything like that in this situation, that’s not our current approach.”
Becky! You are very highly qualified woman and must kind of a swan among the ducklings in that area. We think you’re wonderful! And of course you are right. Better to bear those beavers you have than to fly to others you know not of. Shakespeare said.
