Beaver ecology program at Elk’s Nature Center Saturday
Join the Minneopa Area Naturalist Scott Kudelka for an interpretive program on Beaver Ecology at 1 p.m. March 15 the Elk’s Nature Center in Mankato’s Rasmussen Park. This aquatic mammal spends a great amount of time in the water and has the ability to change its environment by building a dam on a river or stream. Humans are the only animal capable of doing this.
As the largest rodent in North America, the beaver has had a major effect on the continent’s history. In this program we will learn what makes this animal special and show off some of its unique characteristics by dressing one lucky person up as a beaver.
In addition, we will also cover the ecology of beavers and some of its physical adaptations.
Where’s the part about beavers restoring streams? And beavers helping fish? And beaver chewed trees coppicing to help birds? And macroinvertebrate biodiversity? I’m assuming Minnesota knows the definition of the word ECOLOGY, right? As in the way different species affect and interact and affect each other? As in beavers are a KEYSTONE species that improve conditions for fish, birds, wildlife, and every species that needs fresh water. Websters tells me a second definition of ecology involves the political movement that seeks to protect the environment. But apparently in Minnesota, the state which pays to introduce trout by hand while ripping out beaver dams who “ruin the water by raising its temperature” Beaver ecology might mean a story like “Trapping opened the west and beavers have flat tails.”
Here’s what I said about Minnesota and beavers in May of last year:
There are beaver myths that I can argue again and again without losing my temper. There are misunderstandings where I can genuinely see that the right information will make things clearer. There are chuckle-worthy half-hearted attempts to confuse the masses that will unhappily crumble in the face of data. But the determined, malicious, and federally funded scatology arguing that beaver dams kill fish by raising pond temperatures I have NO patience for. Among other things, it is a transparent attempt to exonerate our damn pollutions by blaming the dam beaver instead!
The elk nature center was built in 1989 with a generous donation from the Elk Club in Mankato Minnesota. I’m guessing it has lots of programs about managing the land by trapping and fishing and not so many about trophic cascades. (Which is ostensibly okay because a barely graduated student squeaked out a column for the New York Times this week that said that bunk about wolves helping rivers is untrue. Obviously he has a promising career ahead of him at Exxon or Monsanto).
Okay, maybe I’m being unfair. After all, any program about beaver ecology in Minnesota is better than NO program about beaver ecology in Minnesota, right? And the instructor has a history of being a strong advocate for river health, which I can’t imagine ignores the benefits of beavers entirely. I wish I could be there in the front row to ask plenty of questions and helpfully point out the occasional nutria in his slide show.
(But don’t feel bad, Scott. I did that for Michael Pollock of NOAA and Dr. Chris Iverson of USFS too. And I have a feeling I may do it again, soon.)
