Why is Edwardsville's Watershed Nature Center killing wildlife?
Evidence that beavers are being trapped and killed in a local wetland preserve angers residents.
BUSY BODIES: A beaver's lodge is an essential part of the wetland ecosystem. (Photo: Finchlake2000/Flickr) 
As part of the Cahokia Creek watershed, the nature center contains valuable wetland which is home to a number of native species, including beavers. These remarkable animals have made a successful comeback after being extirpated from Illinois in the early 1900s, when they were nearly driven to extinction by excessive fur hunting. It took nearly thirty years of re-introduction and careful management before Illinois' beaver population showed signs of recovery. They remain protected today.
In its Lake Notes publication, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency agrees: "Controlling beaver activity is only allowed for beavers causing significant damage. Otherwise, beavers are protected and should not be bothered." And yet visitors to the Watershed Nature Center report repeated evidence of beavers being trapped and killed.
If the center's problem is the loss of trees, then I would urge its members to remember that beavers are a natural part of the ecosystem, as is tree loss. Beavers not only use the trees as a source of building material, but also as food. If there are specific trees which require protection, simply wrapping their trunks with heavy gauge hardware cloth or wire mesh will prevent beaver-related damage.
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Comments
I spent about TEN minutes researching beavers+found the following: They do NOT overpopulate-they are territorial+have small litters which move on after a couple of years. There are SO many ways to protect trees. Mainly, trees need to be thinned, anyway (thank you, beavers) but if there are certain ones you want to make sure stay, protect them. If you leave the beavers alone - don't destroy their dams, etc. they will probably destroy fewer trees but when you keep killing them and new ones move.... More
I can't believe that the people donating their personal time to the management and stewardship at the Watershed Nature Center would simply wake up and decide to kill wild life of any kind. I know some of them and I have worked at their volunteer days. They are an awesome group and take protecting & preserving this great space as a high priority. I know that last year I walked around the Watershed and counted 22 trees that were downed by beavers. I also know that a few years back they put in over.... More
Unfortunatly some of the information here is inaccurate. The Illinois Dept. of Natural Resources considers them a nisuance. The trapping season has been greatly extended with no catch limits in the hopes that more will be legally removed. It is unlawful to even relocate them due to their destructive habits. They have few natural predators, and their numbers are increasing much faster than the natural resources can sustain them. The damage they due to banks, shorelines, and lake dams is costly.... More
I would encourage anyone critical of a practice to contact the organization and learn why that controversial practice is occurring.
Unfortunately, humans have altered the 'natural' environment and must sometimes make hard decisions. Trapping of animals to keep a natural system in balance is often one of those extraordinarily difficult decisions.
It is an unfortunate fact that population control is sometimes necessary. In this particular case, however, the destruction of the beavers is purportedly due to their behavior rather than their numbers. Additionally, once the beavers have been exterminated, no effort has been made to alter the landscape to prevent new beavers from returning. Because of this, each year new beavers move in and are subsequently killed, a clear example of a poor management strategy. Thank you for your thoughtful.... More
