“Beaver Ecology on the Mill River” will be presented Friday at Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary in Easthampton.
A beaver swims in Puffer's Pond in Amherst at dusk.The largest rodent in North America, the beaver, is much more important to our ecosystem than many people realize.
Considered a “keystone species” because they are an essential animal whose presence is critical to the ecosystem, beavers are thriving in Massachusetts. Connecticut River Valley Sanctuaries will host a program entitled, “Beaver Ecology on the Mill River,” Friday evening at Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary in Easthampton.
Arcadia Education Coordinator Patti Steinman said beavers are unique animals.
“They’re considered to be the only animal that creates their own habitat,” she said.
The most obvious evidence that beavers populate a particular area is the presence of dams.
“Many of them will build with sticks and leaves, and some of them are event built of stones,” Steinman said. “The other things we can see are their lodges, which they also build of logs and brush. That’s where they survive in the wintertime.”
There are usually one or more underwater tunnels where beavers can access their lodges. In the winter, there are usually sticks piled up outside the lodges, representing their stash of food for the winter.
When beavers are seen in the wild, they may splash their tail in the water to scare off predators or what they perceive to be a threat. Oftentimes, people may see beaver scent mounds, a small mounded up area of mud with which the beaver marks its territory with its castoreum, an oily, musty-smelling substance.
Beavers can stay underwater for up to 15 minutes, and have special eyelids that let them see underwater. Their teeth are constantly growing.
Beavers can have a discriminating pallet, but not if they’re desperate.
“They usually like hardwoods, like aspens, birch and basswood, and in some areas where they don’t have their preferred food, they’ll eat just about anything,” Steinman said. “They would move on to a new area if they run out of food.”
Historically, beavers have played a significant role in the New England area. Native Americans used their furs for warmth, their teeth for tools and their oil for medicine.
“When colonists came over, they quickly realized the value of the beaver pelt,” Steinman said. “The beaver was pretty essential in colonizing the first 13 colonies because that led to the trading industry. The monetary unit was beaver pelts, and people really began to look for them.”
The Arcadia program, geared toward adults, takes place via canoe. Participants will keep an eye out for nighthawks, as this is their usual migration time.
“They fly around in very erratic flights, looking for insects,” Steinman said. “Often in the evening we see cedar waxwings, blue herons, and sometimes bald eagles.”
Participants will also listen for the sounds of bull frogs and tree frogs, and look out for water-striding insects.
Participants should have basic canoe experience. The program, which runs from 6 to 8:30 p.m., is $15 for Mass Audubon members and $20 for non-members. To register, call (413) 584-3009.