The Daily Commercial News reported on Pierre Bolduc, a landowner southwest of Calgary, who has let the beavers near his property do the hard work for him.
According to the report, the Municipal District of Foothills had installed a ‘beaver-proof culvert’ at a location not far from Bolduc’s property, where beavers had been attempting to dam. Utilizing an outdoor sound system and a recording of running water, Bolduc drew the beavers in.
“I don't know what the sound of rushing water does to the psyche of a beaver, but based on the results I witnessed, I think it could inspire them to build a dam right in the middle of a sandbox," Bolduc told the Daily Commercial News. “They went straight to work.”
The main dam built by the beaver family was completed last year, and Bolduc now has a pond that measures approximately 175 by 200 metres (574 by 656 feet).
“After a recent significant downpour, water levels went up about a foot, but the dam held nicely," Bolduc noted. “For anything that even looks like a breach in that dam, the beaver construction team comes out in force to immediately fix it.”
It is absolutely wonderful to see not only a community embracing the incredible and vital ecosystem work of beavers, but media outlets promoting them, too. It takes us one step closer to a Canada where we can truly, humanely, live with wildlife.
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