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| Gnawed tree. M. Larkin |
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| Possible beaver track. J. Schaeffer |
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| Girdled tree. M. Larkin |
We haven't actually seen them, but we've seen their signs: Beaver (
Castor canadensis) are in the Park! Walk along Minebank Run, downstream from the Willow Grove bridge. You'll see some trees that have either been cut down, girdled, or partially gnawed, leaving the characteristic beaver chips scattered at the base. They're here! Snoop around the sandy bank of the stream, and you may even spot their tracks.
These signs are just one of the ways we observe animals in the Park. We see their tracks; we notice their scat; we find their homes; we see their trails; we spot their skeletons; we discover their food remains and caches; and, if we're lucky, we actually see the animals. Knowing a few animal signs turns a walk in the Park into a fascinating and informative treasure hunt. Thank you, Jim, for spotting the sign of the beaver.
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| Beaver. B. Hubick |
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