We built our homes in the beaver's land

Green Frogs ready to go to their new home

I was optimistic about the presence of the beavers down the road, I was hoping to see them repairing their dam or perhaps eating some twigs, instead a local told us that they are not there anymore.  Most likely they were killed because they were eating white birches near a private fishing pond.  I cannot understand why would you compete for space and resources with beavers. They are a key stone species and gifted architects of beautiful ecosystems.  Last April a family of beavers in Thetford, VT was sentenced to be trapped and killed because they were causing damage to a main road.  People in the town spoke against it, including students that raised money to come up with a solution. Here is the video that made news.

On the other hand, we had to remove some critters from our man made pond to a wetland down the road.  Last year, we set out this thick tarp over a deep hole in the ground that was left there by the previous owner of the property.  We filled it with water, lined the tarp with rocks and thought of it as a pond.  However, it trapped chipmunks and mice that fell in and couldn't get out.  It was also a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes and a gathering place for frogs.  I loved seeing the frogs come out and enjoy the pond.  However,  after waking up from hibernation we started seeing a LOT more frogs in the pond, and last week we saw their egg clusters.  We made the decision to move the green frogs and the eggs to the nearby wetlands and remove the tarp to make way for a pizza oven instead of the pond.