2
4
1. Beavers are hard workers. They are monogamous rodent mammals that spend much of their time in rivers, lakes, and ponds. In shallow water, they build dams to create a deep pool, where they will construct their homes, called lodges, to house their colony.
2. A beaver’s powerful tail is used for balance on land, steering in the water, for alerting other beavers of danger, and to warn off a potential predator.
3. A beaver has transparent eyelids that enable it to see clearly when swimming underwater.
4. Beavers frequently gnaw wood to cut large logs and branches down to size. This practice prevents their teeth from getting too long since they never stop growing.
5. Beavers play an essential part in the ecosystems they inhabit by providing deep bodies of water for animals to drink from and even live in. When beavers cut down trees, seeds spread and grow other trees closer to the beavers’ lodge for their convenience.
6. Beavers are social animals. Their homes feature a mudroom where they dry off after coming through the underwater entrance and a separate chamber for their living quarters. The mud and sticks used to build the lodges become so hard that even wolves cannot penetrate them.
7. What else can you learn about beavers?
How does the beaver represent GOWI (Get On With It)?
Beavers are an important part of the ecosystem. They engineer landscapes, forming ponds where other animals can drink and live, which also creates a safe place for their lodges. What knowledge have you recently learned? How can you act on this knowledge? How will acting on this knowledge bless others?
If the beaver does not use its teeth to cut down trees, they will grow too long—sometimes making eating very difficult. What will happen if you do not act on the knowledge you have received?
Beavers are social animals and build highly engineered homes that become so fortified that even wolves cannot penetrate them. What knowledge have you received and implemented that has helped you build stronger relationships?
What have you learned and still need to implement “get on with it?”