There are various entrances, along the 30 acres estimated to be taken up by Bilberry Creek ravine in Orleans (Ottawa) in different neighbouring communities, leading into the forested natural haven that the entire community treasures. At one point an entrance from a street leading to a plateau in the ravined forest offers a relatively short hike to a point just above one of the descents where the local beaver have made quite a few inroads in taking down poplars.

Among the many tree species that flourish in the forest of Bilberry Creek ravine, poplars are exceedingly common, and it the saplings, the immature and those that have a decade of growth that the beavers most frequently target, though they're known to tackle much larger trunks with their sharp, businesslike teeth. All in the aid of their architectural ambitions, to build dams and lodges.

Since beavers have returned to the ravine, as they do from time to time, only to be relocated if some nearby resident complains about their presence, one cannot help but notice the number of trees they have harvested in the last few months. From that short hike out of the street into the ravine lives some resident who possesses a chainsaw and who hauls it over the relatively short distance whenever a good-sized poplar has been felled and has fallen across one of the trails, to clear the trail.

No one, it appears has yet brought the beavers' renewed presence to the attention of the parks division of the municipality that the beavers will be the ruination of the forest (considerately leaving the pine, spruce, fir, cedars, yews, the wild apple trees, hawthorns, oak, maple, birch, bass, serviceberry, hackberry, ironwood and a myriad of others to flourish, including those copses of poplars distant from the beavers' proximity). This is a perfect, natural environment for beavers, the very symbol of industry adopted as a proud Canadian icon.

It is fascinating to walk along the trails, reach the points where the beavers in their wisdom that made their choices and gone about transforming poplars into fuel for their building enterprises. And long may they remain.