AQUiLA MAGAZINE
INGENIOUS FRIENDSHIP ENGINEERING !
Construct a Beavers ’ dam !
Did you make the busy beaver automaton from our Ingenious Engineering issue ? Next up , let ’ s learn from our brilliant beaver buddies and make a darn fine dam !
HARVEY ’ S MISSION
When it comes to ecological engineering , you can forget your architect ’ s plans , your cranes and your reinforced concrete . Instead , look no further than our most ingenious semi-aquatic mammal : THE MIGHTY BEAVER .
Beavers build dams in order to create barriers and build up pools of water . It ’ s in these pools that they construct their lodges ( homes ), complete with underwater entrances . A feat of engineering in themselves , lodges serve as living areas , protect them from predators , and provide them with a place to store food .
ACTIVITY SKILLS
1 hour +
First things first , Harvey wants you to construct your very own dam . So let ’ s get beavering , shall we ?
DIFFICULTY
GET STARTED
STEP 1 : Gather the materials you will need . It may be best to work outside or , if inside , on a table covered with some waterproof sheeting .
STEP 2 :
Use the materials to gradually construct your dam about three-quarters of the way across the base of the container or tray . Use sand , mud and / or clay for the base and then build it up to the top of the tray using the stick and twigs and other natural materials laid horizontally across .
YOU WILL NEED
o Waterproof sheeting ( optional )
o A large plastic container or baking tray
In the UK , beavers have no real predators , they are nocturnal in their habits , usually leaving the lodge in the evening and returning the following morning .
A lodge is usually home for one beaver family but as many as ten beavers can live inside . They are fiercely protective of their living space and shun intruders .
o Bottle or jug of water
o Small stones / gravel o Sand o Mud o Clay
o Natural materials such as : small sticks , twigs , leaves , moss , bark and green plants
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