Beavers felling trees at Liberty Twp. park

I will be the first to admit that this website has not always been kind to Ohio. What with the horrific tale of the grandma clubbing Bambi with the garden shovel, – and then (grrr) tigers – it’s a state that has occasionally provoked my most prodigious wildlife scorn. BUT this story could set a new trend for the region. Seems some smart beavers took up residence right behind a wildlife professor’s home and when beaver started eating trees in the park he nudged the city to consider humane methods of protection.

Township officials and residents worry that the fallen trees may cause erosion along Gregory Creek. Over the last four to six weeks at least 30 trees – possibly as many as 50 – have been cut down by the beavers.

The animals use their teeth to gnaw around, and eventually cut through, trees until they fall, said Rick Jasper, an assistant wildlife management supervisor for the Ohio Department of Natural Resource’s District 5 office. The beavers cut through the tree’s bark to the inner green, which contains minerals and nutrients.

Naturalist Chuck Holliday and resident Dave Lintner, whose property abuts the park entrance, have also found evidence of a dam being built in the creek.

“I’ve seen a beaver twice in the last two weeks when it’s almost dark,” Lintner said. “Based on the amount of activity and damage I’ve seen… there’s probably a pair.”

To try to prevent the beavers from felling any more trees, Holliday and Lintner are asking township residents to join them Saturday at the entrance to Cherokee Park, 4616 Watoga Drive. From 9 a.m. to noon they plan to put two-foot high chicken wire around the base of the trees to keep the beavers from gnawing them.

Well done, gentleman! This is Dr. Charles Holliday’s website, an animal physiologist who teaches at Lafayette College in near by PA where he’s been publishing recently on cicada predators. Nice work getting the town involved and protecting the trees without a shotgun! But pssssssst….here’s some beaver physiology for you….chicken wire would only be a good solution if beavers were the size of chickens. And while 2 feet of the stuff may keep away….hmm…badgers ….its not going to help against beavers. Especially once you get two feet of snow on top of it!

Let’s used galvanized fencing wire OR let’s paint trunks with mason sand up to the height pf 4 feet above the expected snow line, okay? Check here or here or here for directions. You may be surprised to know that sometimes city officials allow this stuff to be ‘done wrong’ so that they can justify trapping later when it predictably doesn’t work. But it’s possible I’m a cynic.

I never heard of that kind of tree before? Hackberry. Celtus Occententails. What’s it related too? Looks like its a kind of elm. Any common names I might be more familiar with? Oh, of course.