The Beavers of Mendell's Folly

Conserving Wetland Areas

Melinda Lu

Wetlands are valuable to both people and animals. They provide an environment for a great amount of wildlife diversity and valuable ecological services to many organisms, including human beings.

Throughout history, wetlands have faced many major changes because of human settlement, pollution, and runoff from agriculture. Scientists estimate that 40% of all species reside in wetlands, so without any healthy wetlands many species would suffer. In addition, wetlands provide flood control, storm barriers, and clean water. They also provide foods such as rice, cranberries, and fish. Protecting wetlands in our ever-changing world means protecting the services wetlands provide us in our day-to-day lives. 

In collaboration with  UConn's Conservation Training Partnership (CTP) Program  and the  Bethany Land Trust , this project was made to spread awareness and educate the public about the importance of wetlands and how beavers impact them.

The research for this story map was done on Mendell's Folly, a Bethany Land Trust Property.

At Mendell's Folly, there is a big wetland area. The Hockanum Brook flows through this wetland which provides a habitat for many different animals.

This is especially important for increasing biodiversity within the wetland and areas around it.

Along with the wetland, there is also upland forests which also is home to many other species.

Like all habitats, Mendell's is constantly evolving and changing. These changes range from minute to extreme depending on the cause of the change.

Changing Wetlands

Wetlands usually take thousands of years to form, and they can continue to change constantly over time. 

Beavers Changing Wetlands

One type of animal that creates and maintains wetlands are beavers. They are usually referred to as ecosystem engineers because of their ability to completely change their environment which yields lots of benefits. Beavers are also considered keystone species because many animals rely on their skill to change their environment to survive.

Beavers are extremely important in increasing biodiversity and maintaining the wetland. Their role is vital to the survival of the wetland and the survival of many animals.

Beavers: General Facts

There are two types of beavers, the American and Eurasian beaver, which are around the same size. Beavers have adapted to wetland environments with large front teeth, closable nostrils and ears, and transparent eye membranes that act as goggles. Both male and female beavers have scent glands, castors, that are used for marking territory. 

Beaver Dams

Beavers use all different types of materials to make dams including sticks, branches, twigs, etc. The dams raise the water table which results in a beaver pond.

Beaver Lodges

A beaver’s home is called a lodge. It is a dome shaped house made of mud, sticks, and grasses. Lodges are built on little islands just barely above water level with an underwater backdoor for swimming access. Beavers are primarily nocturnal and spend most of their time eating and building dams.

Beaver Colonies

Beavers live in very active, social communities called colonies. One lodge is usually home to one couple, their young, and yearlings born the year before. Beavers mate during the winter and can give birth to around 1 - 6 kits, or baby beavers. At around 2 years of age, the kits leave the lodge to build their own, and at around 3 years of age they find their own mate. 

In a nearby area (Mesa Drive), the evidence of beaver presence is more clear.

This is an aerial map of the area in 2010.

In Mendell's Folly, the beavers have changed the flowing stream to a beaver pond. However, there is no clear pictorial evidence of this.

Many consider beavers a nuisance because of their infamous tree cutting, but it has a positive effect on the ecosystem. After taking down the trees, the stumps grow new shoots that becomes food for many animals. The fallen trees helps bring more light onto the forest floor. This provides sunlight for low lying plants which gives them a chance to thrive, ultimately, resulting in plant biodiversity.

This is aerial imagery taken in 2012.

Beavers are most commonly known for making dams. The dams stop the flow of water in a stream causing a pond or area of wetland to form. However, in this area, the beavers did not need to make a dam because of the relatively still water. Instead, they used tree cutting to further expand the wetland. This causes nutrient-rich sediment builds up at the bottom of ponds which feeds many aquatic animals.  

This aerial imagery is from 2014.

Beavers do not stay in the same area for long. After they cut down their favorite trees, food supply is low, or the wetland is not suitable anymore, they move to a different area. After they leave, their lodge and dam decomposes causing the wetland to drain. This leaves behind a meadow full of rich, nutrient-dense soil for many plants and animals to thrive. This wetland on Mesa Drive is forever changed because of the beavers.

This imagery is from 2016.

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The Beavers of Mendell's Folly

At Mendell’s Folly in Bethany, CT, beavers have engineered the wetland to become a thriving pond. This allows many diverse groups of animals to thrive.

Beavers Active at Mendell's

Beaver evidence has been found along the wetland area that is along Tibby’s trail. Using trail cameras, beaver activity has been recorded near the dam and the lodge. The tree-cutting and dam building showed how active the beavers were.

This is a photo of a yellow birch from the winter of 2016.

These are beaver tracks found in the snow at Mendell's.

This is a video of a beaver feeding near the dam.

This is a video of a beaver walking up the bank near the dam.

As the beavers' food supply diminishes, they will move onto different wetlands or bodies of water. In Mendell's, there has been no recent beaver activity since 2018.

This is the most recent evidence of beaver activity. The black birch trees cut down are very thin compared to the ones that were cut down in 2016.

Succession

Even though the beavers are gone temporarily, they have had a lasting impact on the wetland.

When the dam decomposes and pond drains, the built up, nutrient-rich silt will turn into a thriving wet meadow.

This is a photo of the beaver pond in 2019.

Because of their impact on the wetland, beavers are considered keystone species. Their “engineering” has created an environment that can host a diverse population of animals.

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Attracting Different Species

At Mendell's, the beaver dam has caused the water level to rise which resulted in silt building up which purifies the water. The chemical change happening in the water attracts new species of mammals, birds, fish, and amphibians. 

This is a photo of salamander eggs in a vernal pool near Mendell's.

Because of the different types of fish and water creatures appearing in the wetland, mammals like minks, bobcats, and racoons benefit from this as a source of food.

This is a video of a family of racoons feeding near the beaver dam.

This is a video of a bobcat near the beaver pond.

This is a photo of otter scat which has traces of fish (fish scales) that was found near the dam.

Bats

The tree cutting the beavers do turns the wetland into an open water ecosystem. The open space creates space for bats to fly. This allows big brown bats, eastern red bats, and little brown bats to thrive.

By using a sonograph and device that detects higher frequencies, it can detect the sound of bats.

This is a sonograph from the noise of a little brown bat.

This is a sonograph of a big brown bat.

This is a sonograph of a eastern red bat.

Birds

Additionally, the wetland has attracted many types of birds. Many migratory birds, like the great blue heron, use this area as a rest stop to refuel. Other birds also use this area as a year round habitat to mate and continue their species.

This is a video of a great blue heron foraging along the stream edge.

Why is this important?

Beavers play a huge role in creating and maintaining wetlands. By doing this, wetlands can provide benefits like improving the quality of water, recharging underground aquifers, alleviate droughts and floods, and provide a habitat for many animals.

During interviews with Ana, a graduate student from UConn studying wetland ecology, and James, a biologist at White Memorial Nature Preserve, both emphasized how important wetlands are for animals and, especially, humans.

Additionally, it is also important to be educated about how beavers can influence an ecosystem. This can teach people how to live in unison with the beavers while understanding how the beavers are helping the ecosystem.

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How Can You Help?

This story map was created as a part of a citizen science project through  UConn’s Conservation Training Partnership program  in partnership with the  Bethany Land Trust . There are many programs like the one at UConn that can help you get involved in citizen science projects or help conserve the environment as a whole.

Citizen Science

Citizen science is a collaboration between the public and professional scientists to collect data / analysis on things about the natural world.

EarthEcho Water Challenge

The  EarthEcho Water Challenge  is an international program that runs annually from March 22 to December. The EarthEcho Water Challenge builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources by engaging citizens to conduct basic monitoring of their local waterbodies and record their results online.

Ebird Bird Watch

 Ebird , the app and website, allows you to learn about and record the different types of birds in your area. After recording this data, it is shared and used in bird research world-wide.

Appalachian Mountain Club

The  Appalachian Mt. Club  engages hikers in hands-on monitoring of air quality and climate change. Through activities along the trail, we provide opportunities to learn about air pollution’s impacts to visibility, climate trends in the mountains, and the impacts of recent climate change on plant flowering and fruiting times and other seasonal biological events.

FrogWatch USA

 FrogWatch USA  is a citizen science program that invites individuals and families to learn about the wetlands in their communities and help conserve amphibians by reporting data on the calls of local frogs and toads. FrogWatch-FieldScope allows participants to enter and review their data, as well as explore maps and graphs.

Galaxy Zoo

 Galaxy Zoo  allows people to record pictures of the galaxy in the database. These pictures can be used to discover new things about the universe around us.

Beavers of Mendell's Folly Storymap Credits

This project was made thanks to the staff at UConn's Conservation Training Partnership Program along with my partner from the Bethany Land Trust.

The photos and trail camera footage from Mendell's Folly were taken by myself or my partner, and other images were from alternate online sources.