Monday, February 8, 2010

5 Beavers

A month ago at the Kenton Conservancy meeting (I am Chair of the Board) it was reported that the City of Independence had gone onto our property, Woolsing Trails (see great pictures of Woolsing on Facebook) and destroyed a beaver dam due to its interference with a low water bridge.

Needless to say the members of the board were unhappy. The purpose of the Conservancy is to preserve lands of natural, historical and cultural significance to the county. It follows that one of the reasons to preserve property is to allow for natural habitat, such as beavers. I was assigned the job of calling the City of Independence Administrator and requesting a different approach in the future. When we spoke, he apologized for going onto the property without contacting us and said he would most definitely contact us in the future. He also told me that the beavers had rebuilt the dam.

I hung up the phone very pleased that nature had won. Or so I thought. Tonight (a month later) at the Conservancy meeting I learned that a trapper had trapped, and killed all 5 beavers who resided in the creek. Supposedly he entered the creek from someone else’s property, not ours. No matter how he got there the beavers are gone.

I was at first filled with rage. Then I was just sick, with a heavy feeling in my heart. Is it possible for people to live in concert with nature? Why must we trap, kill, mine or gather every living and natural resource available? Why can’t we just see the beauty and leave it alone? Or see the beauty and leave it for the next person? When will we ever have enough? Will we wait until all the animals are all gone to mourn their loss?

Call me a tree hugger, an environmentalist, an eco-nut, honestly I don’t care. What is true is that I am a lover. A lover of nature and all that it offers. While my efforts seem insignificant and useless on days like this, I know that tomorrow, I will get up and get focused again, on preserving what is left of the natural and wild spaces of Kenton County Kentucky.

Mackey McNeill, CPA/PFS
President and CEO of Mackey Advisors
www.CultivatingProsperity.com

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