Peterborough resident Eileen Kimmett loves nature, and nature loves her right back — judging from her recent experience with a determined beaver in Jackson Park.
Eileen, who is known for sharing photos on social media of her monarch butterfly nursery, was cycling on the Trans-Canada Trail near Parkhill Road West on Monday (July 26) when she encountered a beaver harvesting a branch from a tree downed by high winds.
“It was a tough bike home from work today,” Eileen writes on Twitter, referring to the poor air quality from forest fires in northwestern Ontario. “But then this happened. No words. Nature is pretty amazing.”
Eileen posted some close-up videos and photos of the beaver, who was so focused on getting the branch that it didn’t seem to mind the attention.
At one point in the video, another cyclist rides by the busy beaver without stopping — as if to say “Just another day in Peterborough.”
Eileen’s Twitter video has attracted a lot of likes, including from The Weather Network which will be sharing it with Eileen’s permission.
It was a tough bike home from work today. The air is terrible.
But then this happened. No words.
Nature is pretty amazing. ??@kawarthaNOW @TCTrail @OtonabeeC @ptbogreenup @CyclingHubPTBO @weathernetwork pic.twitter.com/Lcil3RKtaR— Eileen Kimmett (@EileenKimmett) July 26, 2021
The beaver made quick work of the branch, gnawing through it in a matter of seconds before carrying it away.
Canada’s largest rodent, the beaver was an important animal for Indigenous peoples, who ate their meat and used their fur and teeth. When European settlers arrived, the beaver became the primary animal of the fur trade which, at its peak, saw 100,000 beaver pelts shipped to Europe each year (mainly for fur hats).
While there were an estimated six million beavers in Canada before the start of the fur trade, the beaver was close to extinction by the mid-19th century. Fortunately for the beaver, the European interest in fur hats declined and the demand for beaver pelts plummeted. With conservation efforts, the beaver is now alive and well across Canada, and was given official status as an emblem of Canada in 1975.
As for Eileen’s monarch butterfly nursery, you can follow her on Twitter @EileenKimmett to keep up to date on the progress of the monarchs from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly.
Eileen, who is also a marathon runner, participated in the inaugural Monarch Ultra Relay Run in 2019, an epic 4,300-kilometre run across North America (Canada, United States, and Mexico) to raise awareness of the plight of the monarch butterfly.
The Monarch Ultra Relay Run returns in September, with a 1,800-kilometre relay run from Peterborough to Barrie.
3 more ?? beauties – yesterday Ultra – our 1st boy emerged into the world. Yes named after @monarch_ultra
Twins – Q (Girl) & Rocky (Boy) must have emerged this morning due to the smell of my coffee.
2 more due today… It’s a busy one at #MonarchMansion today! @kawarthaNOW pic.twitter.com/Vy7BIXBf5E
— Eileen Kimmett (@EileenKimmett) July 27, 2021
