Picture of Beaver lodge in the Detroit River
http://http://www.flickr.com/photos/mandj98/3411286373/
I always find it fascinating when people discover beavers where none have been before. This is the case for the folks in the Detroit area. After 75 years without beavers, the Detroit River now has a beaver lodge, complete with beaver, within the city limits.
What I began to wonder was why, after all this time, Beaver wanted to return to the area. Was it because Beaver had a very large message for the Detroit citizens?
Beaver is about eating what is naturally in her area, and usually, only harvests trees no further than about thirty-six meters or forty yards from the edge of the water. She is about cleaning and conserving water. She is able to create wonderful gravel and wood sieves that bring only clean water into her pond (yes, there may be some pesticides yet much does get held by the gravel and sand). In fact if the water is quite dirty, Beaver may create several of these sieves upstream from her main pond area so that she only gets clean water for her kits (babies).
American Beaver from Wikipedia
Beaver is unique in that she works at conserving the land and her energy. All is done with maximum efficiency and minimum energy, from how she creates her home, to how she cares for her young. She mates for life, and keeps her kits around her until they feel the need to leave. She tends the trees in a way that we do not understand. After cutting down the larger trees, she leaves an opening for the willow and poplar saplings to grow.
When Beaver appears, she is telling you that “busy as a beaver” is really about doing tasks that are productive, making each action count, and being conscious of the conservation of the land. She eats only the food that is good for her. She creates a carefully constructed, water tight, energy efficient house. Look at your life.
- Do you recycle and conserve energy?
- Are you eating healthily?
- Are you using resources indiscriminately?
- Does your work produce something tangible? Or, does it produce something no longer required or does it produce something unhealthy for the environment?
- Do you honour your family and have the patience to nurture it until they know they can leave?
May your work instincts follow that of Beaver!
Judy@angelsandancestors.com See the articles at www.angelsandancestors.com
Beavers are seriously adorable, and I love how incredibly self sufficient they are! An inspiration to us all.
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