BEAVERS!

Joining Ranger Armstrong and Ranger Joos for their homeschool program at the Estrella Mountain Regional Park, we took an easy 1.5 mile hike out to a unique riparian habitat along the Gila River. Along the way, we picked up trash, which quickly overflowed the bag the rangers had provided. One of our members took the bag home to sort out recyclable materials, which accounted for most of the items collected. At the wetlands, we saw trails left by beavers’ tails, a beaver dam, a beaver lodge, and trees that had been cut by beavers. The children even got a chance to use the radio telemetry equipment to locate beavers, although the nocturnal animals were sleeping by the time we arrived. During the hike, the rangers taught us many interesting facts about beavers and how they impact their environment, which reinforced learning that took place during the IMAX movie on Beavers at the Arizona Science Center field trip on 7/27/06. The largest rodent in North America, beavers have the greatest impact of any animal besides humans on their environment. They also have long term monogamous relationships and shared responsibility in caring for their young, endearing them in the hearts of our Roots & Shoots families.