BOISE — The remaining snow on the ground along the Boise River on Tuesday provided a snapshot of the local wildlife scene.
Small clusters of four prints? Squirrels. Clusters of two prints with elongated toes and webbed feet? Beavers.
Beavers make their homes along the Boise River, and are well-known for engineering the river ecosystem by felling trees, building dens, and creating ponds that provide habitat for lots of different species, said Kristin Gnojewski, community volunteer coordinator for the city of Boise.
In the winter, they switch from eating grasses and reeds to tree trunks. A beaver can kill a tree when it gnaws a continuous ring around its trunk, even if it doesn’t topple the tree.
The city manages about 12.5 miles of riverbank on either side of the Boise River, and on Tuesday, Gnojewski was leading a group of volunteers in protecting black cottonwoods and other tree species along the river from hungry beavers. The program, which has been ongoing for more than a decade, involves volunteers placing a loose cage of chicken wire or other wire around the base of trees, preventing the beavers from approaching it close enough to chew it.