Crow’s Nest: Beavers on French Creek

By Daniel Barringer, Preserve Manager

The other day the Roamers Club came for a hike here and we found this freshly-chewed ash tree along the Creek Trail. Beavers come and go in this stream valley and so this is not entirely a rare sight. In fact, we’ve caged some of the trees we planted along the creek—and many others that were already growing there—so that beavers can’t gain access to them. Over the years we have lived with varying degrees of their activity here, from flooding that lasted a couple years, and a lodge, and a few dead trees. Overall the wetlands they produce make excellent habitat for many other species.