Blenheim Park
RENEWAL THROUGH DESTRUCTION (BEAVER ACTIVITY)
Until recently, you would have been standing under a closed maple and ash canopy. It would have been
a shadier place until 2021 when a pair of beavers moved in and built a lodge which you can see on the opposite bank.
The materials they used to build the lodge came from maples situated on this side of the bank. In 2021 this particular part of the forest looked as though it had been commercially clear-cut due to the amount of maples that were felled by the beavers.
But this wasn’t the end of the forest. In fact it was only a new beginning. The removal of upper canopy vegetation had created better light conditions here which, in turn, invigorated ground-level vegetation consisting of tree and shrub seedlings as well as a very diverse community of herbaceous and grassy species.
This is significant for reasons other than simply restoring diverse ground vegetation and stimulating tree seedlings. The recent activity of beavers has actually created new habitat for wildlife; notably bird and insect species that are drawn to open forests and similar clearings. In fact, this site would be an excellent place to visit during spring and fall bird migration.
In the meanwhile, the trees that were felled by the beavers did not die, but rather have continued to regenerate new stems around the base of the original felled trees and will eventually grow tall enough to restore the forest upper canopy once again.