Obviously the phrase “seeing the forest for the trees” was first written by a beaver lover, speaking to a group of castor phobes, and trying to reassure that their beloved pond wasn’t going to be ruined. No need for any of that language at the Stanley Park Ecology Society in Vancouver. They already know.
Birds in Stanley Park got the first of five quiet places on the water in Lost Lagoon Wednesday, as part of an initiative to help protect the wildlife in the park.
The Stanley Park Ecology Society is making the resting spots out of logs salvaged from local beaches. Anchored at both ends, the logs are meant to create more habitat for birds on the water away from people and other disturbances on the shore, said Robyn Worcester, conservation program manager for the society.
Shh, this is my favorite part…
Dealing with resident beavers is also one of the challenges for the park, she said. “We will be wrapping some of the trees to protect them so they don’t all end up as meals for beavers,” she added.
Wow. Not only do they know there’s a humane way to solve the problem and plan to employ it, they’re only going to wrap SOME of the trees and leave the rest for beaver snacks. Of course those beaver-nibbled trees will coppice and become dense bushy regrowth that makes perfect nesting cover for all those birds, but they probably know all that too.
Let’s all send fan letters! This is the kind of natural pragmatic wisdom I admire most. Don’t they have Killer whales in Vancouver? Maybe furry little beavers aren’t that big a problem by comparison.
