North American Beaver - White River National Forest, CO
North American Beaver - White River National Forest, CO
North American Beaver (Castor canadensis)
Many miles up a dirt road into the National Forest I found an incredible camping spot overlooking a valley. Looking down I could see the Beaver house and after a couple of days of staking it out was able to capture some photos of the Beavers hard at work patrolling and repairing their dam. This photo was taken 7/24/24 at 6:55 pm.
WeForest Donation: $160 (What is this?)
Print Number: 1/10
Print Size: 12.5 × 16 in.
Total Dimensions: 22 × 27 in.
Total Weight: 12 lbs
Hanging equipment and certificate of authenticity included.
THE PHOTOGRAPH
North American Beaver (Castor canadensis)
Identified best by their long, wide, flat tail, Beavers are found throughout the United States, as long as there is fresh water near by. Their signature appendage has many uses beyond easy identification: it helps them move swiftly and with ease through the water, can be used as a warning sign when slapped against the water, and can help them balance when dragging large parts of trees. Beaver families are usually made up of a mating couple and their offspring of two years time, after which the kits (children) leave the family lodge and go off to start their own families. Beavers are integral to many ecosystems around the country and can have a major impact on a wide area around where they live. From the damming of streams to create ponds and lakes, to the clearing of saplings and maintaining open areas, these acts provide ample hunting grounds for many birds of prey, provide areas for fish to proliferate, and help to tame invasive plant species in many areas as well.
THE LOCATION
White River National Forest
Located in Northwest Colorado the White River National Forest contains over 2.2 million acres of land and is the most visited National Forest in the country. This is mostly due to the 12 ski resorts that reside within its boundaries, including Vail, Aspen, Beaver Creek, and Breckenridge. Within the White River there are also 10 peaks that eclipse the 14,000 ft mark, known as 14ers, not only making it perfect for the ski resorts but also ample opportunities for many other outdoor alpine activities as well. Many areas within the National Forest are inhabited, but there is quite a bit of rugged wilderness where animal species can thrive with little to no contact with humans. Deer, Elk, Mountain Sheep and Goats, Bear, Mountain Lion, Bobcat, Lynx, Moose, and many other species call this forest home.
THE FRAME
Cuban Mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni)
Cuban Mahogany is one of three species of Mahogany and it was originally the most widely used of the three. Nowadays, Honduran Mahogany is the much more prevalent wood and what most people would recognize as Mahogany. Native to the Caribbean, Cuban Mahogany’s northernmost range does include the far south of Florida, including the Keys. I happen to get all of my Cuban Mahogany from a salvager in the Keys who removes the trees from construction sites before cutting it into slabs and drying it.
THE ELEMENTS
Fire, Water, Earth, and Air
In the display case in the bottom of the frame, four items are in preserved glass vials. The items represent the elements: fire (wood charcoal), water (mineral oil), earth (soil), and air (a milkweed seed). I include these items in my work as a symbol of the interconnectedness of all life on Earth, and as a reminder that humans must do better.
THE PLAQUE
Magnetic Information Plaque
I engrave a wooden information plaque for each work. The plaque includes what the photograph is of, the location of the photograph, what type of wood the frame is made of, and where I sourced the wood. The plaques also explain why the vials are included in each work. The back of each plaque states the meaning of my logo: “The circle represents our home, Planet Earth. The hourglass represents time. The five horizontal lines in the bottom of the hourglass represent the five mass extinction periods that have occurred in the past. The single line falling through the hourglass represents our current mass extinction period, caused by us.” The plaques are attached magnetically and can be removed to read or to store on the back of each frame if you prefer not to have it displayed on the front.
