New Land Trust

If you haven’t walked the Bunkhouse trail, off upper Saranac, now might be a good time to try it.  On the weekend of April 17-18, a nice little stream was bubbling busily alongside the part of the Bunkhouse trail between upper Saranac and the Bunkhouse building.  This flow of this little stream will likely subside to a seep later this spring so see it while you can.  Its final destination is Smithkill Brook, a beautiful permanent stream on the NLT property.  The best access to Smithkill Brook is directly across from the Bunkhouse building, just follow your ears.

It’s evident that beavers have been recent residents of Smithkill Brook.  Beavers can do amazing things with mud and sticks, as can be seen in this great S-shaped dam that exists on the brook.  Their front teeth grow continuously so chewing keeps the size of these teeth in check.  You may have noticed that a beaver’s front pair of teeth are orange.  The front layer of these teeth is thicker than the back layers so the teeth wear down at an angle, keeping them sharp.