Beauty & The Beaver
Not another Disney love story...
Visiting the Port Gamble Beaver Dam invokes a natural and pure contrast of life and death. This natural reserve area hosts several winding trails for bikes and horses alike, but this view is reserved for foot traffic only.
The absolute destructive force of beavers is clearly apparent upon first glance. But destruction, death and decay is a natural part of every living ecosystem. If death were not present, there would be no room for new life to emerge. Like Yin & Yang, there is a fine balance between light and dark. They both require the opposite to survive, if there were no division the whole would cease to exist.
Beavers and their dams play an important role in nature. These mammals are considered a keystone species because of the dramatic effects their dams have on surrounding ecosystems. By constructing dams they create wetlands -- lush environments which attract fish, ducks, frogs and other creatures.
~ animals.howstuffworks.com
A beautiful ecosystem carefully crafted by tooth and nail (literally).
Though I didn’t see any beavers personally, their fingerprints are clear and fresh around the surrounding area. It’s funny to compare the emergence of technology in all species, humans cut down trees to build homes for families, profit, and other gadgets; yet beavers painstakingly donate their labor and invite the whole neighborhood to enjoy a new space rent-free.
We measure cars in horsepower, why not measure chainsaws in beaver power?
One beautiful thing about being human is that we are biologically wired for pattern recognition. When we truly know a pattern inside-out, we’re able to see signs of it anywhere.
This above stump for instance, I would’ve been passed without notice in a previous time, but now that we are fluent in beaver- is akin to an old relic telling the history of this land and how it came to be here today and years to come.
Oh the stories we’ll discover when walking the fine line between life and death. The Earth still spins, the sun still burns, rain still falls, tides still ebb and flow, ecosystems emerge in the wake of annihilation and will continue to do so for eons.
My experience here is just a drop in the ocean, yet sometimes it feels like God made this world for my eyes. By no means in a selfish way- for my eyes are your eyes here in this experience. I hope God has built a beautiful day for you too. Mine has been enlightening.
My first thought seeing REI sponsored the viewing platform here:
Of course corporations need to maintain their roads, why would REI sell adventure gear if there were nowhere to adventure to. Similar to Michelin tires giving stars to restaurants so people have a reason to drive their cars further and buy more tires!
On a serious note though, I would like to personally thank REI and the volunteers who funded and built a beautiful view for this experience. You’ve truly embodied the spirit of the beaver here, giving without taking or expecting anything in return.
#not-sponsoredyet