A Beaver Dam at the Botanical Gardens

The Matthaei Botanical Gardens were established in 1907. A few weeks ago, for the first time in its history, Fleming Creek, which runs through the garden, became the site of a beaver dam! We noticed it on a walk a couple of weeks ago, and came back to see how the beavers were doing. What fun.

Walking towards the trails, you cross a little pond, and then go along Fleming Creek to the beavers' site.

The dam is a bit chaotic: sticks and brush that the beavers piled up to make their dam.
They seem to work very fast!

We watched from the platform, which conveniently was already built before the beavers moved in.
Then we crossed the stream and looked at the other side.

Water spills over and through the piled-up sticks and leaves, and collects behind the dam.

Screen shot from the official trail cam image of the beaver (link).
Beavers work at night when the gardens are closed to humans.

Update: Several commenters asked if the beaver dam was to be removed or destroyed. ABSOLUTELY NOT!! The management of the Botanical Gardens are delighted by the return of this Michigan keystone species to the garden. Beavers were once common throughout the state, and are slowly coming back.

Photos by mae sander © 2023

Shared with Eileen's Saturday Critters.