The parks people clean out all the opportunistic (what we call disturbance-adapted) plants growing along the margins of the inlet in Col. Smith Park - this is so there can be better viewing access to the water. As a result, the beavers have to come out of the water and eat young trees. This makes the parks people angry because they are trying to grow the trees, so they begin thinking about beaver removal. During a brief warm spell in December, I think, I photographed a beaver chowing down on some cattails. He was in the water, feeling nice and calm, and warm (getting out of the water would have chilled him), so he let me get within about 5 metres. Now, he'll come out of the water to eat if he has to, but in the water, he's safe from humans and dogs, so all we have to do so people can see a beaver up close is let some natural shoreline vegetation exist.
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