Beavers as a Keystone Species

 

Our five-year-old grandson has been enjoying watching The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the first of The Chronicles of Narnia children's stories by CS Lewis. Lewis was a devout Christian and there is a lot of Christian imagery in the books, although I've met people who loved the series without realizing that it was religious or spiritual. 

Grandson Number 2 gets a chuckle out of the beaver family, who provide hospitality to the Pevensy children when they are mysteriously transported to the magical but wintry land of Narnia. Mr Beaver is quite brave, an unlikely hero as guide through territory controlled by the White Witch. 

When CS Lewis wrote The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe in 1950 beavers were long-gone from the British Isles -- three hundred years, in fact -- hunted to extinction. In recent years they have been reintroduced in England, Scotland, and Wales, as a key creature in creating healthy wetlands. Some anglers have resisted this project, perhaps because they grew up with the story of Mr. Beaver catching a fish for the children's dinner. Beavers don't eat fish, but tell that to the fishers who grew up with the story. 

 

                                                    Beaver Reintroduction -- Devon, Britain

I smile at the reverential tones of those who support the reintroduction, as though beavers really are mythical creatures. Perhaps we take them for granted in Canada, even though they were nearly trapped to extinction during the fur trade. 

We see them every year as we paddle Ontario waterways and we're always pleased by our sightings. But lots of cottage owners curse them when they return to find valued trees gnawed down, while municipalities fight the never-ending battles to keep culverts open. I showed Grandson Number 1, the eight-year-old,one of the inserts now being used to trick beavers into not damming culverts.

Beavers can be nuisances, yet they are vital to healthy ecosystems and many other species thrive because of the ponds they create. They are described as keystone species because of their role. This really is God's wondrous world. 

No, I did not try to 'splain all this to the five-year-old. I'll leave him to enjoy Mr. Beaver...for now... 

                                                    Beaver Nickel, 1950 -- Beaver on the right