Appreciating the Place of the Beaver, Which Fascinates and Frustrates
Hiking the Border Route Trail near Grand Marais in October 2015, Mike Burville happened upon a makeshift section of trail broken by other hikers. It was a backcountry detour of sorts to steer clear of a new water project.
Freshly felled trees marked the rugged landscape as water began to pool, thanks to the toothy handy work of nature’s most industrious civil engineer – castor canadensis, aka the beaver.
“It’s pretty rare to see a beaver on land, but I saw one dragging a branch to the main water flow,” said Burville, an avid backcountry hiker from Farmington. “I watched for a while, but when he saw me, he bailed into the water and slapped his tail at me.”
Read full article: Appreciating the Place of the Beaver, Which Fascinates and Frustrates