(March 7, 2018) The HCPs require that the Conservancy plant potential nesting trees for Swainson’s hawk. The hope is that in the subsequent decade or two after planting, the trees will have enough stature to support a Swainson’s hawk nest.
We’ve gotten pretty good at planting and maintaining trees, even in poor soils and other not-so-great conditions. But time and time again, we are foiled by beavers, always busy, always felling trees we plant in and around Conservancy marsh complexes. The expense is one thing. But the time is the killer here. Years after planting and with years of care, just when a tree starts to approach maturity, it is taken down by an eager beaver.
Yesterday, Conservancy field crews found one of my favorite trees had been removed. A quick look at the attached photo leaves no doubt who the culprit was: an eager beaver. We thought that it was planted far enough away from water that it didn’t need protective fencing, like most trees have in such areas. But the beavers are relentless.
We will properly inform the Swainson’s hawks using Conservancy preserves that they will have to wait another decade or more for the replacement we’ll plant. 😉