**** March 7, 2023 UPDATE ****
Due to unfortunate circumstances, it has become necessary to postpone the Beaver Pond Wildlife film series previously scheduled to begin at Real Art Ways theater in Hartford, CT, on Wednesday, March 15, 2023.
The event sponsor is working to reschedule the series at another venue in the area, and we will post an announcement when that occurs.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
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While meteorological spring has arrived, it's still pretty chilly inside a stick-and-mud beaver lodge half-submerged in a pond. But the residents endure. The ice on their frozen ponds is now melting, and myriad animal species are soon to be seen in and around the pond.
Few
wildlife species are more intriguing, and none has a greater ability to
alter and create habitat than that iconic keystone species, the beaver.
This unassuming mammal goes about its daily life setting up and
maintaining its homestead, all the while creating aquatic and
terrestrial conditions that so many other creatures rely on.
For its "Really Wild Wednesdays: Eager Ecological Engineers" events, Real
Art Ways theater in Hartford, CT, is featuring our 5-part "Beaver Pond Wildlife" film series in 2023. The
films document many of the multitude of species typically found in, on,
and around northeastern beaver pond
environments, season by season. Each film is about one hour long.
These events, organized by Professor Susan Masino of Trinity College, will be held in the main theater for a large-screen experience.
The films will be scheduled to coincide with what you can expect to see at northeastern beaver ponds at that time of the year.
"Part 1 - Early Spring" will be presented Wednesday, March 15, 2023, at 6:30 pm. We'll see migrating birds arriving at beaver ponds to stake out nesting territories, including warblers, songbirds, swallows, ducks, geese, herons, ospreys, and more. A variety of mammals, amphibians, fish, and reptiles are part of the mix too, such as beavers (of course), muskrats, deer, fisher, bobcat, otters, weasels, opossum, coyote, skunk; frogs, turtles, toads, and newts; and bald eagles as well.
There will also be a cameo appearance via Zoom by Ben Goldfarb, author of the book Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter.
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| A beaver on patrol in its icy pond |
Parts 2 through 5 progress chronologically through late spring to winter, and are scheduled for April 26, June 21, September 6, and November 15, respectively.
This series is part of American landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted’s 200th birthday celebration. For more information, see the "Olmsted’s CT: Forest For The Trees" info at Real Art Ways.
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