An Unexpected Connection

People like beavers.

Get your mind out of the culvert. I’m talking about the response to my Elmer Fudd piece in the South Whidbey Record, which briefly mentions the interesting species of rodent that builds dams.

Over the last month I’ve exchanged emails with several people around the country who appreciated that article. They’ve all shared information on the beavers that inhabit creeks and ponds in their areas. One of those folks, Sarah Summerville, is the director of the Unexpected Wildlife Refuge, a nature sanctuary in the Pinelands of Southern New Jersey.

Sara will be reprinting Elmer Fudd in the upcoming issue of The Beaver Defenders, the sanctuary’s impressively long-lived newsletter (40 yrs!)

I’m glad so many people like beavers. Here’s to new friends and new places to visit. My one trip to New Jersey thus far was a change of planes at Newark during the snowstorm of Christmas 2009. That turned into a long stopover, so I’ve spent many hours in NJ, mostly trying to sleep. I hope some day I can spend as many hours exploring the Unexpected.

Photo from Unexpected Wildlife Refuge