NORFOLK — An overflow crowd packed into the Norfolk Library Saturday, Jan. 14, for Stephen DeStefano’s talk on “The Life and Habits of the North American Beaver,” the first lecture in the Great Mountain Forest’s Forest Lyceum series of lectures this winter and spring.The subtitle of the lecture is “The most interesting animal to-day extant” — a phrase taken from the introduction to A. Radclyffe Dugmore’s 1914 book, “The Romance of the Beaver.”DeStefano is the leader of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and a research professor at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.DeStefano proceeded methodically, noting that the North American beaver (Castor canadensis) is a rodent and is found all over North America. It has also been introduced successfully in Europe and Patagonia.He then took a quick detour into prehistory — most notably, a description of the giant beaver that got to be as big as 8 feet tall and 200 pounds, and existed from about 1.4 million years ago and died out about 10,000 years ago (something to consider when a beaver dam is causing inconvenience.)Castor canadensis is “a real specialist” in the art of gnawing and taking down trees, DeStefano said admiringly.“Their teeth are always growing, so if they don’t gnaw, the teeth will grow right into the head.” Beaver factsThe North American beaver, while industrious, is considerably smaller than its ancient relative — 2 to 3 feet long, with a tail of half a foot to one and a half feet, and tipping the scales at between 30 and 70 pounds. The highly prized fur ranges in color from chestnut to almost black, with a light gray underfur.The babies (“kits”) are between 9 and 15 pounds, and can see and swim almost immediately.The first year of a beaver’s existence is idyllic. They spend the bulk of their time in the water, DeStefano said. “They don’t need to get a summer job.”Beavers have poor eyesight, but their senses of smell and hearing are excellent. They typically live between 5 and 10 years.The North American beaver has a fusiform body — wide in the middle and tapered at either end. The ears and nostrils have valves, which allow the animal to submerge without water coming in. A beaver can stay under water for 15 minutes, as any fisherman who has worked a beaver pond can confirm.The big, flat tail serves as a rudder while swimming, as support while on land and as a warning when slapped on the water — as the above-mentioned angler can also confirm.(Personal note: I once fished a high mountain stream in northern New Mexico with a friend. We found a beaver pond and gingerly began casting our flies. My friend got bored and moved on, but I was more patient. Just as I hooked into a decent fish, there was a huge “FWAAP” noise behind me, and just a few yards away was a large beaver sporting lots of teeth and an irritated expression. He started toward me, or so I believed, and I scrambled out, losing the trout and my dignity in the process. My friend was sitting against a tree, laughing helplessly and making comparisons to President Jimmy Carter’s 1979 encounter with a killer rabbit.)The front feet are well-equipped for construction and grooming. Yes, grooming — with the oils from the castor and anal glands.Castor canadensis mate at three years, and do so annually, in January and February. “So there are beavers out there up to something right now,” said DeStefano. They are monogamous.The gestation period is 100 to 110 days. Litters typically have three or four kits, and the young beavers stay with the parents for two years, usually.The beaver is a strict herbivore, which explains why they get along with fish. They are particularly fond of alders, aspens and willows. DeStefano said that distribution of those species often coincide with beaver populations.They also eat blueberry, dogwood, cattails and water lilies.A good sign that a particular habitat is nearing the end of its usefulness to the beavers is when they start gnawing on oak or pine.Information on damsWhy do they build dams? To create habitat. The beaver lodge entrance is under water, which keeps predators out.The dams, which can get up to 10 feet tall and can be found in all sorts of watercourses, require constant maintenance.Beavers are nothing if not diligent. “The sound of running water gets them going,” said DeStefano, “Poke a hole in a dam and watch.”The lodge is the focal point of the beaver’s life. A typical lodge is 20 feet wide and 7 feet high, with multiple chambers, entrances and areas where the building materials are arranged loosely to allow ventilation.Beavers can build a dam in two nights.They do not hibernate (see mating). One linear mile of suitable habitat can support one or two colonies of four to eight animals apiece.When wolves were prevalent in North America, they were a major predator. (Coyotes fill a similar role today.) Black bears and big cats will also go after a beaver if the opportutunity presents itself.Young beavers, leaving the home lodge and seeking their own turf, are the most vulnerable to predators.Humans and beavers have a lengthy history, DeStefano continued. Fur trapping was of enormous, even pivotal importance to the developing economy of the North American colonies.Fur (for hats) and meat were of primary importance, but beavers were also used for perfume and medicine. DeStefano said that before the establishment of the fur trade there were an estimated 100 to 200 million beavers in North America. Today there are between 10 and 15 million.In modern times, trapping, like all hunting, is highly regulated. Connecticut had two winter trapping seasons in 2011, with mandatory participation in a pelt-tagging program.Beaver dams, where they are not wanted, can cause angst. DeStefano said in Massachusetts landowners are required to seek the assistance of state animal control agents to remove beavers and dams. In Connecticut, regulations note that licensed trappers often assist landowners with removing beavers during trapping season and that “special authorizations to trap beaver outside of the regulated season may be issued by the DEEP Wildlife Division when beaver activity threatens public health and safety or causes damage to agricultural crops.”But Connecticut frowns on live-trapping and relocating beavers, as simply moving the problem from one place to another.If a Connecticut landowner wishes to do something about a beaver dam, be aware of this Department of Energy and Environmental Protection regulation: “The installation of any water level control device at a culvert or modification of a beaver dam in any way, including breaching or removal, are considered regulated wetland activities and must be approved by the local inland wetlands commission.”DeStefano extolled the beaver and its importance to the overall environment. The cycle that begins with the creation of a beaver dam, the years of use, and its ultimate abandonment lead then to a deep wetland, followed by a shallow wetland, then a grassy meadow and, eventually, forest again.The economic importance of the North American beaver naturally led to scarcity, DeStefano said, adding that by 1750 beavers were pretty much gone from Massachusetts.They made a comeback beginning in 1928 in western Massachusetts, and by 1995 there was a relatively stable population of about 20,000. A 1996 ballot initiative restricted trapping methods, and beaver-related complaints went up.DeStefano offered some suggestions: aim for an increased tolerance for the beaver, and understanding of its role in the overall environment; avoid building in beaver habitat; wrap or otherwise protect valued trees; engage in dam removal, or install flow devices, as per regulations.Moving the beavers is “not an option,” he said. Doing so simply transports the problem, increases the risk of spreading disease and disrupts the highly structured social life of the animals.And it’s illegal, he concluded.Upcoming eventsComing up in the Great Mountain Forest’s Forest Lyceum series:Feb. 11 — Paul Barten of the Great Mountain Forest and University of Massachusetts, Amherst, on “The Shakers: Forest Conservation, Green Design, Sustainable Agriculture...200 Years Ago” (at the Douglas Library in North Canaan).March 10 — Todd Fuller of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, on “Wolves? In New England?” (at the Norfolk Library).April 21 — Scott Heth of Connecticut Audubon in Sharon on “Forests for the Birds: Habitat Needs and Management Options for Migratory Songbirds” (at the D.M. Hunt Library in Falls Village).May 12 — Robert Thorson of the University of Connecticut with “Stone by Stone: The Magnificent History in New England’s Stone Walls” with books available for purchase (at the Norfolk Library).June 9 — A film, “Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time” (at the Norfolk Library).For more information, call 860-542-5422 or visit www.greatmountainforest.org.The Connecticut DEEP Wildlife Division provides technical assistance to individuals experiencing problems associated with beaver activity. For more information, contact the Wildlife Division’s Beaver Management Program at 860-424-3011.
Latest News
Meg Sher, executive director of the David M. Hunt Library in Falls Village.
“I was a library kid. I walked to the library after school,” she said.
For Sher, the library is as much about the people as it about the books.
“Part of the job I love so much is that running the library is such a community,” she said.
She treasures the relationships she has built, whether recommending books, celebrating accomplishments or helping patrons through difficult times.
“I am thankful that our community is so supportive of the library, unlike what is happening in some other places where librarians are villainized,” Sher said.
Sher takes pride in the Hunt Library’s reputation for being “open and welcoming to everyone. People come in and see things and get pulled into things they weren’t expecting. Our library is seen as a positive force.”
Sher came to Falls Village after being awarded a fellowship at Adamah Farm, then a program of the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center. She worked at pickling, in the greenhouse and later in the development office. She also worked as a nanny.
At the same time, “I was in the library all the time,” she recalled. “I’m a voracious reader. The library is where I met a lot of my first friends in Falls Village.”
She became assistant librarian at Hunt and worked in that position for almost a decade before becoming the executive director four years ago.
Meg Sher, executive director of the David M. Hunt Library in Falls Village.L. Tomaino
Sher met her husband, Adam, while working at Adamah. They had their wedding there in 2012. He now emcees many events which she co-organizes with the Falls Village Recreation Commission.
Sher and her family live near the library.
“It’s an easy commute,” she said with a smile. “My kids run back and forth. I can go home to walk the dog if I need to.”
“My kids have grown up here.” Her oldest son, Eli, “loves volunteering. He helps with Augustfest and often helps set up chairs for ArtWall gatherings.” Her younger son, Noah, is often at events and was eager to taste cookies at last year’s holiday cookie swap.
When she is not at the library, Sher likes to hike with her family. Bella, their Portuguese water dog, often accompanies them.
Sher enjoys seeking out people to offer events at the library.
“I do a lot of different community programming. It is one of my favorite parts of the job.”
Augustfest, featuring food, music and an auction, is the library’s biggest fundraiser.
“This summer we had a record 152 attendees, which was pretty incredible.”
Yonah Sadeh, a filmmaker from Falls Village, inaugurated the VideoWall this year, Sher explained.
“I’ve known Yonah since he was two. It’s wonderful to work with him as an adult.”
The VideoWall complements the library’s ArtWall, which showcases a new artist each month. Sher praised the ArtWall committee for its work and highlighted December’s popular “12x12 Show,” featuring works by local artists, each measuring 12 by 12 inches and priced at $150.
Sher added that some of the artists who exhibit at the ArtWall offer workshops to students at Kellogg School, next door to the library. In September, artist Danielle Mailer worked with the children. Vincent Inconiglios taught a class last November.
Being next to the school, said Sher, is a great advantage.
“Kids are coming after school, to see friends, work on projects, find a great book. Kids that love the library end up using the library as grownups.”
This past year, in partnership with Adamah, the library and school created a garden, with excess produce made available at The Center on Main.
This year is Sher’s second year participating in the Troutbeck Symposium in Amenia with James King, director of the library at Salisbury School. The Troutbeck Symposium is “a gathering of a year of student historical inquiry across the region” in which students “uncover stories that have been overlooked, forgotten, or never recorded.”
Last year, Sher and King began a project with a group of students researching Irish immigrants in Falls Village, exploring ancestry and creating small magazines about their findings.
They continued this year, visiting St. Patrick’s Catholic Cemetery on Dublin Road, cleaning seven gravestones and even righting one with the help of stonemason and gravestone restoration expert Karl Munson. Paul Kozeazny, a representative of the Catholic archdiocese, helped secure access to the site.
A film documenting their activities will be shown at the symposium in spring 2027.
A full schedule of programs and events, ranging from tech help to ceramic mug-making, can be found on the library’s website.
Despite spending her days surrounded by books, and a busy schedule of programming, Sher still loves to settle in with a book at home.
For more information on library programs and events, visit huntlibrary.org
Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.
Touré was born in northern Mali in 1981. His father, the renowned guitarist Ali Farka Touré, came from a family of soldiers and wanted his son to join the army. The younger Touré studied drums and the calabash and practiced guitar in secret. He earned his father’s blessing to pursue music shortly before Ali died in 2006, and they played two tracks together on Vieux’s debut album.
Touré is known for his deft, polyrhythmic playing, and his songs grow out of riffs that repeat and layer to hypnotic effect. He draws on rock, blues, Latin music and various African traditions. This distinctive blend builds on his father’s work adapting the sonic traditions of Mali’s arid north to the guitar.
Vieux’s album “Mon Pays” (“My Country,” 2013) honored Mali’s culture after Tuareg separatists and extremist groups seized the north in 2012. “Samba” (2017) was recorded before about 50 listeners in Woodstock, New York. In 2022 came “Les Racines” (“The Roots”), a return to his father’s desert blues, and “Ali,” on which he and the trio Khruangbin reworked eight of the elder Touré’s songs.
Touré leads the Ali Farka Touré Foundation, which focuses on cultural and educational work in Mali. Around the anniversary of Ali’s death, it holds a festival in Bamako, Mali’s capital. Bamako has been under blockade for much of the past year, besieged by JNIM, an al-Qaeda affiliate. Against this backdrop, Touré continues to carry the music of Mali to audiences abroad.
At the Nov. 5 concert, Touré’s desert blues will share the bill with Gnawa, the music LanGus plays, which developed in Morocco among West Africans who were brought north across the desert as enslaved people. Gnawa is religious music traditionally performed at all-night healing ceremonies called lila, intended to carry participants into trance.
Samir LanGusProvided
LanGus was born and raised outside Agadir, Morocco, and began learning Gnawa from its masters at age 8. He plays the sintir, a three-stringed bass lute made of wood and camel skin. The player strikes a low string with the thumb to create a deep, resonant pulse. Iron castanets clatter over the sintir’s bass line, and vocalists trade call-and-response refrains.
LanGus infuses the tradition with jazz and improvisation. In New York, he founded the ensemble Innov Gnawa. His first solo album, “Gnawa Love,” came out in February.
Touré and LanGus’s Nov. 5 concert is one of the last public events at Race Brook Lodge, which is for sale and ended full-service operations at the end of 2025. The lodge’s final scheduled event, on Nov. 6, is an evening of Rumi’s poetry with translator and vocalist Haleh Liza Gafori, cellist Isabel Castellvi and ceremonial bard James Bird.
For tickets, visit rblodge.com.
James FitzGerald is a student at Yale Law School, where he focuses on ecological restoration and international environmental cooperation. He splits his time between Lakeville and New Haven.
Want more of our stories on Google? Click here to make us a Preferred Source.
