After Christmas cheer from the Hartford Courant in Connecticut.
Haddam Land Trust Busy As A Beaver Seeking To Preserve Parcel
Cowan had invited people from around the area to attend a “Walk About The Pond” hike last weekend to showcase the parcel the trust has an option to purchase. In the email he called it an “incredibly important conservation parcel” with “exceptional qualities.” The property lies just to the north of the Route 82 connector between Route 9 and the Tylerville section of Haddam.
“Believe it or not, this was just a big, soggy meadow before the beavers came,” Cowan said.
But like the popular phrase, the beavers have been busy. And they haven’t been busy gnawing down all the trees. The brilliant animal engineers have created several dams out of mud, effectively blocking up the former meadow’s outlet stream beds. A 6-foot-high dam is at the northern end of the pond. There is also a series of smaller dams that block other outlets. Simply amazing.
“Beavers always seem to get a bad rap,” said one woman on the tour. I couldn’t have agreed more. The transformation of this low area in the middle of the woods to a pond filled with water lilies by North America’s largest rodent was an impressive engineering feat.
Ahh thank you Hadam Land Trust, and reporter Peter Marteka. There is nothing like some beaver appreciation to start the day off right. I love to read the joyful recognition at what a well placed series of dams can do. Even if Martinez doesn’t get any at the moment. Sniff.
How about some more beaver appreciation, this time from just outside Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.
Dog sledding, beaver habitats draws for visitors to Armstrong County trails
There have always been plenty of reasons for local folks and out-of-towners to visit the Armstrong Trail. But now, with an uptick in wildlife activity — and an offering of dog-sled rides — visitors have more of a reason to hit the trail.
ARTA supports and helps maintain about 30 miles of trail stretching from Rosston to East Brady.The volunteer organization recently gave permission allowing Allen Dunn of Rayburn to give dog-sled rides along the trail.
Recently, trail users have noticed a lot of evidence of beavers at work in the Madison Township area. On Tuesday, as rain dripped from bare branches and rushing water tumbled over rocks down a hillside, Owen stood near a section of trail between Rimer and Hook Station. Mist drifted through the valley and spilled over the Allegheny River.
Owen stooped to examine the trunk of a young birch tree that had been gnawed to a teetering point by the furry river-dwelling critters. More than a dozen chewed-up birch branches lay on the mossy ground near the river bank. The beaver dens were well-concealed and tucked out of sight far below the tree line near the water’s edge.
“We don’t consider them a nuisance,” Owen said. “They are a part of the natural world, and there’s no fear of them damming up the Allegheny.”
Ron Steffey agreed. He’s the director of the Allegheny Valley Land Trust, which owns the trail. “We’re the ones coming into their domain,” he said.
He joked that he trained the beavers to notch the trees so the trunks would fall toward the river rather than across the trail path. And he noted that because the beavers had thinned out the birch, young oaks growing in the area will have more of a chance to gain a foothold.
Wonderous. I would certainly be willing to take a sled dog ride to see beaver habitat in the snow. Wouldn’t you? And now we have evidence of positive regard for beavers from the state whose nickname happens to be “The Keystone State”. How appropriate!
Best beaver present yesterday came from Knob Creek Metal Arts in Kentucky. How’s this for a pair of book holders?
Finally a, proud photo snapped by Rusty yesterday at the Tulocay beaver pond which proves, once and for all, that Napa wins Christmas.
