LUDLOW, Vt. – Do you want to learn more about beavers and how to live harmoniously with them? Come to this lively presentation on the lives of beavers and strategies for living with them. Join presenters Patti Smith and Skip Lisle on Monday, April 6, at 10:30 a.m., to learn more about these industrious creatures. This program is brought to you in partnership with Black River Action Team.
Beavers are built for the water, and they can’t live without it. That is why they are so dedicated to building dams to keep it in place. As beavers move upstream and down, creating new ponds, the areas they leave behind become meadows and shrublands. These are all-important habitats for many plants and animals, from moose to mink. This makes beavers a “keystone” species – one that is essential for other species to thrive. Alas for beavers and road crews, often the easiest place to make a dam is across a culvert. The lands they choose to flood may already be in use by people.
Smith is a naturalist with the Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center in Brattleboro, where her work has become increasingly focused on beavers and beaver ecology. Her book, “The Beavers of Popple’s Pond,” is an account of years spent closely observing a colony of beavers in Marlboro, Vt., and the relationships she developed with them. For more than a decade, she has written a monthly column in the Brattleboro Reformer bringing her experiences and insights to the public. As a wildlife rehabilitator, Patti has and raised many orphaned mammals, including beavers.
Lisle is a biologist, founder of Beaver Deceivers International, and the leading expert on flow devices, structures that protect culverts and regulate water levels. Lisle has been testing materials and designs for decades and has learned how to resolve conflicts in ways that allow beavers to create valuable wetland habitat. Please bring your questions, concerns, and frustrations to the troubleshooting session after the presentation.
Fletcher Memorial Library is located at 88 Main Street, Ludlow, Vt. If you have questions or need more information, please call the library at 802-228-8921 or email fmlnews@gmail.com. If you are unable to attend in person, contact BRAT organizer Kelly Stettner at blackrivercleanup@gmail.com for the Zoom link. This program is free, open to the public, and accessible.