Sara Zahendra is ready to crawl into the beaver lodge. © KPMcFarland.com
VCE Biologists Sara Zahendra and Kent McFarland visit an old beaver lodge at the North Branch Nature Center in Montpelier. Join them as they talk with Ken Benton, North Branch Naturalist and Educator, about beaver adaptations and how they are important keystone species. Inching through the mud, they also crawl inside the old lodge and see what it might be like to live in a beaver lodge.
Listen to the show
More Information about Beavers and Projects You Can Join
- View a map of beaver observations in Vermont and report your own to iNaturalist Vermont.
- Learn more about North American Beavers with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife fact sheet.
- Read the Best Management Practices for Nuisance Beavers from the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Dept.
- Watch a video about how Vermont Fish and Wildlife Dept uses Beaver baffles to control water levels for ponds near roads and homes.
Images from the Show
Closeup images of claws on the hind foot of a beaver at the North Branch Nature Center visitor center. The top and middle photos are the specialized combing claw on each foot, compared with a normal rear claw in the bottom image. Listen to the show to learn more about these adaptations. © KPMcFarland.com
Sara and Kent on the huge old lodge before crawling inside.
Sara Zahendra crawling in the entrance tunnel into the living quarters in the lodge. With out a headlamp, it was completely dark, but for a few specks of light in the ceiling where the venting area was located. © K.P. McFarland
A view of the cozy interior of the lodge. © K.P. McFarland
North American Beaver (Castor canadensis) bank lodge and food cache ready for winter in the water in front of it. © K.P. McFarland
An active beaver lodge in a pond created by a damn they built on a large stream. This is what the beaver pond and lodge that we visited would have looked like just 3 years earlier. © K.P. McFarland
This is the beaver pond we visited. It has been abandoned for about 3 years and has grown into a lush meadow. @K.P. McFarland
Outdoor Radio is a monthly feature produced in collaboration with Vermont Public Radio with support from the Byrne Foundation. The program is produced by Vermont Public Radio chief audio engineer Chris Albertine.
Comments (2)
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This was one of the best of your programs, which are always worth listening to. After listening on VPR I appreciate seeing the photos.
Many thanks!
Thank you for listening. We really have fun doing these shows are alway glad to hear folks enjoy them and are learning new things.