Experiential Education with Whales --- no, Beavers!
by Marg Chase

Whale watching is a fascinating adventure but how many Canadians have seen first hand the habitat, actions and sounds of our national symbol — the beaver.

Children from Ian Baillie School (Grades 1, 2 and 3) travelled to Welovet Lodge in Sunny Corner, New Brunswick, to do just that on May 18th and June 4th.

Teachers Charlene McIsaac, Emiline Robichaud, Shannon Donnelly and Clara Gallant chose these field trips because experiential learning is a powerful and long lasting educational tool that can positively direct youthful energy. This also commits to the school's mission statement "to support and promote student achievement."

Beavers are extremely important in the forest ecosystems. They feed on bark and leaves, often felling large trees to obtain food. They prefer poplar, maples, and aspens and by preferentially choosing these species, they can have an important impact on the tree species composition of their communities.

Beavers modify the streams and lakes they occupy by building dams, digging canals, and undermining banks with burrows. The dams, which can be many metres in length and up to two metres high, are constructed by interlacing branches and sealing with mud.

Extensive areas are often flooded creating habitat for some kinds of wildlife like moose, but often dramatically altering the nature of the dammed streams creating wetlands for ducks, deer and other wildlife. Elaborate systems of canals are often dug to connect streams or flooded areas with feeding areas.

All the children hoped to see a beaver while visiting Welovet Lodge. They watched a movie clip of a beaver making beaver noises/vocals and swimming only ten feet from shore!

Mrs. Chase, the host of Welovet Lodge, and the teachers collaborated a plan whereby the students would learn as much as they could about beavers before their trip, by interviewing family, friends, using the internet or libraries and finding answers to a quiz about beavers.

Mrs. Chase also assigned a "beaver song" to be taught through rote teaching procedure. The children learned the actions of the beaver as well as rhythm with the beat. Rhythm sticks that were referred to as "beaver sticks" were used to keep time with the music as actions were performed and words were recited. The answers to the quiz were discussed as a group. The whole process helped to combine action with reflection.

Welovet Lodge is located right on the banks of the Northwest Miramichi River. Beavers have lived near there for years and years. In captivity, beavers have been known to live as long as 25 - 30 years. However, on average, they live to be ten in the wild.

The nearby brook is named Castor Brook, whereby Castor means "Beaver" in French. Directly across from Welovet is an actual beaver home (lodge) on Exmore Island that stands approximately two metres high.

Mrs. Chase says there are probably two families of beavers in this huge lodge, which consists of the parents and two or three kits per family. Beavers mate for life.

The children were thrilled to use their own binoculars to view the beaver lodge and many thought they could see beavers on the opposite shore.

Beavers are nocturnal (do most of their work at night) but there are a few stragglers who are often sighted early in the morning or at dusk. It is almost certain to be entertained by beavers at 8 p.m. daily.

Each beaver can chew as many as 200 trees a year. Their teeth are orange and grow continuously. It only takes five minutes to chew a three-inch tree, which is the size of the trees that were chewed for the children to view on our beaver trail.

Beavers lips are behind the teeth so they can still chew under water without getting water in their systems. They can stay underwater for as long as 15 - 20 minutes, but usually only stay for two or three minutes.

Children seem to love animals. Tpot, the Welovet mascot dog (Brittany Spaniel), was a big hit with the students! Beavers weigh between 30 - 60 lbs. Mrs. Chase could easily demonstrate the actual size of a beaver to the children because Tpot weighs over 50 lbs. In fact, the beaver is the largest rodent in North America!

Welovet's pet bunny (although she's not a rodent) named "Pumpkin" could demonstrate the shape of beaver's teeth and body postures and the size of a two month old beaver (weighing over 5 lbs). The children were amused at the fake beaver tail that the bunny wore during her teaching part of the field trip.

Lunch was served to the children and for dessert they had . . . maybe you guessed it . . . BEAVER TAILS! (Deep-fried bread dough with cinnamon/ sugar on top.) Yum!!

Marg Chase, host of Welovet Lodge, believes the best way to learn is through experience. Tours can be adapted for all ages. The youngest ones play outdoor "beaver/otter" games to build beaver lodges, hike to see beaver cuttings, view the beaver lodge, sing, dance, tap "beaver sticks" and eat bread dough with cinnamon sugar on top called "Tails." The oldest view movies about the importance of our beavers and how they work and play, walk the tour, view the lodge and eat a meal. Like whale watching, the beavers do show themselves often which adds to the delight of the tour. To arrange for a group field trip, whether by foot or canoe rental, call Marg at (506)836-7311 or email welovet@nbnet.nb.ca