An Unexpected Guest at the 4-H Buffer Garden

An Unexpected Guest

Recently there was an unexpected and certainly unwanted surprise at the 4-H Buffer Garden located at the W.E.Skelton Educational Conference Center(Wirtz), site of this year’s VMN Annual Conference. A local resident beaver had decided that a Redbud would be a tasty treat and so decided to take a nibble or two. Beavers typically use trees and shrubs within 150 feet of the water’s edge,  as a source for both food and building material for their shelters. Large chips were left at the base of the tree and strips of bark were still hanging from the trunk. A few days later, even more was chewed away, girdling the entire tree. It was too late to save this Redbud, but others nearby were wrapped in wire fencing as a preventative measure. 
Submitted by Kathy Scott