Trail of the Shadows: Local Homesteaders Exhibit Panel

The pond at this end of the Longmire Meadow was created by beaver dams.

NPS Photo

Quick Facts

Location:

Trail of the Shadows, Longmire

Amenities

1 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits

Title: Local Homesteaders

Main Text

Beavers are occasional visitors to Longmire. They are not observed every year, but are ideally-suited residents for this edge environment, where meadow and forest meet. 

Beavers dig burrows under the bank and construct lodges above ground with secret entrances in the water. Building materials and food staples are harvested from the forest's edge. Water that pools behind a carefully engineered dam offers the beavers protection from predators. Dammed waters promote growth of underwater vegetation that supplements their diet. 

Beavers are chiefly nocturnal, working the night shift. They do not hibernate but are less active during winter, spending more time at home. 

Secondary Text

As you follow the trail, look around you. How many signs can you find that beavers have lived here (dams, ponds, fallen trees, teeth marks on wood, etc.)?

Exhibit Panel Description
Against a green background, the main text stretches across the top third of the panel on the left side next to a small photo of a beaver on the right side. Below the text, roughly centered in the exhibit panel, is a wide photo showing a marshy pond. In the middle of the pond on an island of grass is a pile of sticks and logs with a beaver sitting on the edge of the island. In the lower right corner of the panel is a photo showing several large tree trunks almost chewed through, with only a narrow point in the center keeping the trees upright. A small detail photo to the left of the tree trunk photo shows a detail of a chewed log, highlighting the pattern of broad teeth marks on the wood. Centered at the bottom of the panel is a caption. Text reads: "(Above) A Longmire beaver feeds on vegetation in the marsh created by the beaver's system of dams. The beaver's lodge, the above-water portion of which appears as a pile of woody material, is often hidden in summer by the tall grasses surrounding it. (Right) Trees and stumps around the Longmire Meadow show the telltale teeth marks of beaver activity." The secondary text is set into a small grey oval in the bottom left corner of the panel. Above the text is a small graphic of a historic gas lantern lit with a soft yellow light. 

Visit This Exhibit Panel
This exhibit panel is located in Longmire along the Trail of the Shadows, a short trail that starts across the street from the National Park Inn. Longmire is open year-round.