Beavers are North America’s largest rodent; Bonhoeffer Gardens beavers measure, nose tip to tail, almost 3 feet long and weigh up to 30 pounds. They are known (excuse this Chile Wikipedia photo, but it is so remarkable) for building dams and peculiar appetite for certain types of plants. Scouler’s Willows are found in areas that are moist and open. A member of the Salicaceae Family, it grows between Kiosk 02 and Kiosk 03 (behind the Gardens 22’
diameter heritage Western Red Cedar stump). Beavers in Bonhoeffer Botanical Gardens’ waters have had a choice of any of 19 native willow species; they’ve ignored all trees but the willows, and initially all other willow species in favor of Scouler’s. What is the beavers’ attraction to willows and why 1 species of willow? Might beavers feel better because of the Scouler’s (Salix) concentrated pain relief? Native Peoples scraped and cured willow bark for its salicin, found in today’s modern aspirin. This knowledge was not confined to NW Indigenous; willow bark was collected by the Sumerians and Egyptians. Given enough time people learn what works and what does not. Then they take the time to teach their youth what’s true and what is not … or how to build dams … something beavers know naturally … somehow. They are considered “fair game” with an always “open season” for Northwest landowners.
https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/species/castor-canadensis#regs-seasons
https://www.burkemuseum.org/collections-and-research/biology/mammalogy/mamwash/rodentia.php#Beaver
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salix_scouleriana
https://beaverworks.org/beaver-grocery-stores/
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/bjh.14520
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-09-07/california-launches-beaver-restoration-program-to-fight-climate-change
https://www.instagram.com/p/C7j4tkHid04/
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/group/mammals/beavers/
https://www.yahoo.com/news/why-flood-u-beavers-wolves-150926299.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSaJc6_Gdc8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuMRDZbrdXc
https://www.yahoo.com/news/why-flood-u-beavers-wolves-150926299.html
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-beavers-shaped-america-from-capitalism-to-climate-change/
https://www.newswise.com/articles/hudsons-bay-company-fur-trapping-policies-set-stage-for-modern-environmental-struggles
https://www.colorado.edu/today/2022/08/09/scientists-call-western-rewilding-network-support-wolf-beaver-populations-improve
Landowners, their tenants, immediate family, or employees may do what to beavers causing property damage?
use non-live traps
report to the State Patrol
kill if on their property
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