Beavers have made a home along North Vancouver's Keith Creek, felling trees and building dams. While their activity raises concerns for local ecosystems, conservationists advocate for coexistence strategies.
Beavers have been busy building dams and lodges along Keith Creek in North Vancouver , felling dozens of young trees in the process. The industrious rodents have been hard at work since late 2024, significantly ramping up their activity in the fall. The Ministry of Transportation and Transit recently completed a $200-million Lower Lynn Improvement Project that included realigning and restoring the creek, planting native trees and shrubs along the banks.
However, the ministry's environmental assessments in 2023 revealed no signs of beaver activity. The province says that the beavers' current activity is consistent with one individual or a mating pair. District of North Vancouver and ministry staff are monitoring the situation. Although the beavers' current infrastructure doesn't pose any immediate threat to nearby human infrastructure, the surviving trees in the riparian area require extra protection. Trees vulnerable to beaver damage have been fenced off with wire to prevent further damage. Conifer trees, which beavers tend to avoid, now have more space to grow and will eventually form the mature forest along the creek.Neil Fletcher, director of conservation stewardship at the B.C. Wildlife Federation, expressed satisfaction with the province's hands-off approach to the beavers. He acknowledged that some organizations and individuals resort to lethal trapping as soon as beavers become a nuisance. Fletcher emphasized the ecological benefits beavers provide, such as natural flood and drought moderation and habitat creation for other species, including juvenile coho salmon. He also pointed out the importance of coexistence strategies, such as installing levelers to manage pond levels and fencing off deciduous trees to discourage beavers from settling in. Fletcher believes that with the right approach, humans can learn to live alongside these fascinating and valuable creatures
BEAVERS ECOLOGY CONSERVATION NORTH VANCOUVER KEITH CREEK FLOOD CONTROL WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
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