We walked by a sign by a creek lined with brush and trees in Forest Grove, Oregon, that stated environmental restoration was in progress. It looked like just another chaotic wetland, and we were wondering who they had hired to do the restoration or if they had even started. We got our answer when we walked back on the other side of the street; they were leaving it to beavers.
Several trees had been felled by busy, brown beavers, and there was a low dam across the creek to form a small pond. To our surprise and delight, one of the furry engineers was swimming down the middle of the freshly-dammed creek, then ducked under a log and paddled out of view to behind the right bank.
They were making a home, not only for themselves, but also for a myriad of creatures that also live in and around their ponds. Fish, frogs, birds, and furry critters make it their home or their source of water and sustenance. Also, the pond limits flooding and erosion during rains and keeps the area moist during dry periods. It helps stabilize the landscape and purify the water of contaminants.
It is amazing how in making a home for itself, the beaver also provides refuge for a number of other creatures as well, and even benefits the two-legged kind. Perhaps it’s a good lesson for us all. (See a video of the beaver at: https://youtu.be/Dje5-iA9Scw?si=1vbun-Qg–nx6m_O)
#beaver #beaverdam #beaverpond #conservation #wetlands
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