21 June 2016 Beaver to the Rescue

Day One; Southern Colorado

At the crack of dawn we piled into the truck and headed north to Colorado via Chama, Northern New Mexico. We stopped to camp just across the border at a place called Red Lake Trail. When we camp, we prefer dispersed camping - no neighbors, more solitude and greater chance to enjoy the wilds. Dispersed camping on federal lands is permitted, but you need to be respectful of the land and leave no trace.

Our first campsite was quite a find; Meadow, creek, and mountains that graced the horizon.

And a beaver dam and lodge!

This past semester, My students and I learned that beavers should be given high praise for their engineering feats, rather than the often-voiced disparagement, "Pesky beavers!". Back in the late 1800's when beavers were close to extirpated from North America for the beaver fur fashion craze, the landscape of North America was sorely diminished. Beavers are responsible for most of the fertile soil that our agriculture relies on. The slow water movement that the beaver dams create allow silt and clay to settle out of the water, creating a wetland rich with decomposing organic matter. In addition to the soil building, beaver ponds store millions of acres of water, water that comes in handy during the western states persistent droughts. Beaver ecology extends deep into the fabric of the land. Beaver dams provide homes for other animals like musk rat, mice and even frogs during the winter. The deep waters that they create provide protection from predators such as coyotes and moose.

So what a joy for me to discover on my first day out that beavers had indeed bounced back from the brink of extinction to begin their very busy task of sculpting the land for the benefit of all.

To learn more about the majestic beaver watch " Leave it to Beavers", a PBS special that you can stream for free. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/leave-it-to-beavers-leave-it-to-beavers/8836/

Bird of the Day; Yellow Throated Warbler

Flower of the Day; Blue Flax