Nature’s engineers: How beavers alter ecology

Wildlife biologist Mike Fargione led a group hike across Cary’s campus, pointing out beaver dams and lodges along the way.
Photo By Nathan Miller
Wildlife biologist Mike Fargione led a group hike across Cary’s campus, pointing out beaver dams and lodges along the way.
AMENIA — Clear, sunny skies welcomed a group to the paved trails at the Cary Institute Saturday, Oct. 19, for an educational hike and lecture on beaver ecology led by wildlife biologist Mike Fargione.
The hike started at a small parking area on the north edge of the Cary campus, where Fargione presented a collection of beaver pelts to the group. He explained that beavers were almost totally eradicated from New England after fur traders hunted them to near-extinction in the 1600s. Until the 20th century, he said, beavers were absent from the New England landscape, a region that at one point hosted hundreds of millions of the semi-aquatic, dam-building rodents.
Now, as a result of careful mangement and reintroduction, Fargione said the beaver population has grown to about 2 million.
This brings challenges, but it also allows the landscape to return to the transitive nature it had prior to European settlement 400 years ago. Fargione said the modern, agricultural landscape that exists in Dutchess County is the result of human intervention and the removal of beavers. Before beavers were nearly eradicated, the rodents carefully redirected water, manipulating wetlands and low-lying forests and fields to create cyclical habitats. Human farmers responded by channelizing streams, drying swamps and driving out beavers to create more consistently dry farmlands.
Now, as beavers make their return, their incessant need to dam up streams and create beaver ponds is in direct conflict with human infrastructure.
Roads on Cary’s campus have started to show serious signs of damage from the beaver’s hydro-engineering. One path has been completely closed because erosion has created a sinkhole in the middle of the pavement. One group of beavers created a pond that was flooding the nearby New York State Police Troop K headquarters on Route 82. Fargione took the group by a low-lying brush pit to demonstrate the huge changes beavers can cause.
Before the beavers came in, the low-lying area was a dense forest full of alders, red maples and aspen trees, beavers’ preferred foods. Two streams came down the mountains from the south, feeding water into the low-lying area, and heavier-than-usual storms started to flood the patch. Noticing the new flooding and the tasty wood, beavers got to work damming up the edges of the patch, creating a 20 acre area of standing water five feet deep at its deepest point. In a matter of weeks the slightly-wet forest was transformed into a murky swamp, bringing different animals and vegetation. The day of the hike the pond was dry, but Fargione said the water didn’t just evaporate.
“A lot of that water goes back into the water table, recharging our aquifer,” Fargione said.
The habitats created by beavers are essential to local wildlife. “There’s lots of wildlife here just because beavers changed the ecology,” Fargione said.
PINE PLAINS — The Pine Plains FFA Ag Fair brought a crowd to the high school on Church Street Saturday, Oct. 11.
Kicking off the day was the annual tractor pull, attracting a dedicated crowd that sat in bleachers and folding chairs for hours watching Allison-Chalmers, International Harvesters and John Deeres compete to pull the heaviest weights.
A large collection of food was on offer from the Pine Plains FFA and each one of the classes in the Pine Plains Central School District. The football team was selling pickles.
Stissing Mountain High School Principal Christopher Boyd enjoyed a dip in the dunk tank to raise money for the Pine Plains teachers’ union-sponsored scholarship.
Stissing Mountain High School Principal Christopher Boyd got dunked several times during his half-hour shift in the dunk tank. Proceeds from the throws benefitted the Photo by Nathan Miller
The Rev. AJ Stack, center right, blessing a chicken at the pet blessing event at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Amenia on Saturday, Oct. 4.
AMENIA — After serving more than five years as Priest-in-Charge of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Amenia, the Rev. AJ Stack announced Tuesday, Oct. 7, that he will resign from the church and Food of Life/Comida de Vida pantry. His last day at his current post will be Sunday, Nov. 2, the conclusion of the Feast of All Saints.
The news was shared in two emails from Stack — one to Food of Life pantry subscribers and volunteers, and another to parish members.
“I write tonight with difficult news, and I wanted you to hear it from me as soon as the Vestry and I had a chance to meet,” he wrote. “After much prayer and careful discernment, I have submitted my resignation to the Vestry as Priest-in-Charge of St. Thomas, and therefore as Executive Director of Food of Life/Comida de Vida.”
Stack provided few details about his departure. At time of publication, he had not announced his next steps but said the decision was “not sudden,” and followed careful consideration over a period of months. He will not be leaving the area or the diocese.
An announcement about his path forward and the transition process is expected soon. In the meantime, Stack said he remains “fully present” at the church, and the food pantry services will continue without interruption.
Stack expressed gratitude for the community and the growth of St. Thomas’ mission during his tenure. “Together we have welcomed new neighbors and strengthened our outreach in meaningful ways,” he said. “I trust that good work will continue.”
He joined St. Thomas in March 2020 and guided the church and community through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a recent interview with The News about the food pantry, Stack estimated that it serves 653 individuals from 156 households each week, highlighting a significant contribution to the community.
The announcement was met with messages of reassurance from pantry volunteers. Jolly Stewart, a Vestry member and volunteer, wrote to the community with words of reassurance following the announcement. “I have complete faith in the strength of the parish of St. Thomas,” she wrote. “Our history shows how we have done this time and again, each time becoming more than what we were before. We can, without a doubt, do this now.”
MILLERTON — Ten candidates for office in the Nov. 4 election will answer questions from Dutchess County voters at a candidate forum on Friday, Oct. 24, at the Annex at the NorthEast-Millerton Library located at 28 Century Blvd.
The forum, which is sponsored by the library, will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Candidates for local and county offices will answer questions from residents in attendance or from residents who have submitted questions in advance.
“We’re excited to keep the tradition of the candidate forum going,” said Rhiannon Leo-Jameson, director of the library. “Some years we can’t always get candidates together.”
This year’s forum will include:
Rachele Grieco Cole, a Democrat, and Chris Mayville, a Republican, who both are running uncontested for the North East Town Council;
Casey McCabe, a Democrat, also running uncontested for North East Justice.
Among Dutchess County races:
Tracy MacKenzie, who is endorsed by Republicans and Democrats, is running uncontested for Dutchess County Family Court Judge;
Kara Gerry, a Democrat, and Ned McLoughlin, a Republican, are in a contest for a Dutchess County Court judgeship currently held by McLoughlin.
Chris Drago, D-19, and Tonya Pulver, a Republican, are competing to represent Dutchess County’s19th District seat currently held by Drago.
Democratic incumbent Dan Aymar-Blair and Will Truitt, the Republican chair of the county legislature, are competing for the Dutchess County Comptroller position currently held by Aymar-Blair.
Leo-Jameson is encouraging questions for the candidates to be submitted in advance, which will not be revealed to candidates beforehand. Dutchess County residents may pose questions during the forum. To submit a question on the library’s website, go to the calendar at nemillertonlibrary.org and find the link in the Oct. 24calendar entries.
The format calls for opening statements from the candidates, followed by questions from residents, and candidates will be able to stay after the forum to answer questions personally.
The residence at 35 Amenia Union Road in Sharon was damaged after being struck by the Jeep Grand Cherokee around 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 11.
SHARON, Conn. — Emergency crews were called Saturday, Oct. 11, to Amenia Union Road in Sharon for a report of a vehicle into a building with entrapment.
Connecticut State Police reported Charles Teti, 62, was driving his Jeep Grand Cherokee northbound on Amenia Union Road when, for an unknown reason, the vehicle veered across the southbound land and exited the roadway where it struck a tree and home. Airbags deployed.
Teti and front seat passenger Aidan Cassidy, 63, sustained serious injuries. Teti was airlifted to Hartford Hospital and Cassidy was transported by ambulance to Sharon Hospital for treatment.
Back seat passenger Shea Cassidy-Teti, 17, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced dead on scene. Cassidy-Teti was a senior at Kent School. He played on the football and tennis teams.
The residence that was struck is located at 35 Amenia Union Road.
The case remains under open investigation. Witnesses are asked to contact Trooper Lukas Gryniuk at Troop B 860-626-1821.