Are we condemning the beavers to an unpleasant death by starvation?
This may be the case with the practice of city workers cleaning up the trees that the beaver has cut down. We recently saw the National Geographic special on beavers. The little critters work hard in toppling the trees so that they will have tender morsels to eat during the long winter months. The special showed the young and inexperienced beaver that did not plan in advance with early tree placements. The little jigger would go hungry to the point of expiring from starvation from the cold weather.
Although we may like the areas we frequent to be tidy, free from offending branches and downed trees, the need is there to make allowances for the beaver. Ideally, we could think about the logic in expanding the biodiversity of our natural water interface. That is for the beaver and for any other creatures we like to see. Yes, moving the railway, roads and human structures would indeed be a challenge. Then again, we would all be better off, humans and beavers alike. There would be no creosote from rail ties or toxic oil and asphalt runoff from roadways getting into the lakes and rivers. That is if we made an effort to make more reasonable aquatic buffer zone setbacks a reality. It would have to be a changed mind- set.
Rationally, we do have to make a departure from expansion and development, to restoration and accommodation. We need to have some compassion and leave the beavers’ winter food provisions just where the beavers know they had left them.
Larry Pilcher