The Beavers Are Locked In - UPDATE November 12, 2019

	On November 4, the temperature was steady between 28 and 32°F all day, and the beavers spent the day carrying mud and lake bottom vegetation up the sides of their lodge to seal crevices and provide insulation. Did they know that this was the last day they could do that? I’ve never seen them work like that before.
On November 5, temperature rose from 12° to only 23° and froze the water. They were sealed in and had to do with what they had for insulation and a winter food cache (the branches protruding above the ice in front of the lodge). Did they know they were sealed in for the winter.
	On November 6, temperatures started at 14° and rose to 21°. The ice looks more substantial.
On November 12, after record-setting cold of minus 11°F and rising to only +11°, I can’t imagine the lake opening up until spring. Tracks show that a deer walked by on snow and ice that held up fine.

 
At the Bear Center, Judy Thon is starting to look for interns for 2020. She does a great job of selecting them, which makes me happy for many reasons. One is that when I walk down the sidewalks of Ely, people shake my hand and say what a good time they had at the Bear Center with Interns and Bear Educators answering their questions and make their time educational and fun. I don’t know how she comes up with such good people. Not to take away from her, but I think people who apply for this kind of work with bears and people are self selected for being the way they are. https://mailchi.mp/bear.org/now-accepting-2020-internship-applications

Thank you for all you do.
Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center

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