The road covers roughly one mile from the gate to the field. Familiar, yet ever-changing, the stretch of land that I have walked hundreds of times contains a beaver pond that is a small ecosystem in itself. To me, the tract is more than part of a tree farm or hunting land. It is a living place where decisions can have lasting impact.

I spent part of the day there recently with my friend Jamie Thomas, cleaning out culverts and opening dams that the beavers had plugged and built in the spring-fed pond and outflowing creek that lie in that section of bottomland along the road.

My immediate thought was that these pests needed to be removed. After all, their recent industrious engineering efforts had led to the water that was now flowing over the road, thus eroding it in several spots.

The mission was clear–get the water off the road before more damage occurred. However, standing atop one of the dams I found myself wondering what positive impact these bucktoothed ecosystem engineers were having on the land? What role did they play?

As I stood there leaning on my garden rake, listening to the flowing water, two things came to mind. First, a quote from Dr. Steven Covey. I think it came under Habit 5 of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” Certainly, he didn’t have beavers in mind when he said “Seek first to understand, then to be understood,” but that’s what came to my mind. I didn’t understand the beaver’s role.

The second thing that came to mind was probably what prompted the first. Gena and I had recently watched the documentary “The Biggest Little Farm” and, as a side note, if you haven’t seen it take the time to check it out.

I was struck by the effectiveness of the regenerative farming practices John and Molly Chester had put into practice and by the power of biodiversity to create harmony within an ecosystem.

What the Chesters began with was a farm that had been burned out by industrial monocrop farming; however, by year five, with the help of practices put into place by biodynamic farming guru Alan York, the farm began to come alive.

I don’t want to give too much away, but one of the key changes they made was “seeking to understand” the benefit that predators such as coyotes had within the ecosystem, rather than simply eliminating them (a practice they tried with no positive results).

Back on top of the dam, I pondered what benefits the beavers were having. Immediately, I thought about the wood ducks that inhabited the pond. They thrived in the waters there. How many mornings had I heard their squeals from the pond below as I hunted in hills above?

Perhaps, I reasoned, I would be better served by finding ways to live with the beavers. In the past, we had trapped to remove them; however, it never seemed to take too long before other beavers moved in to take their place. I wondered if there was a better way, a way for nature and agriculture (in this case tree farming) to work together, to find a mutually beneficial balance.

In the documentary the Chesters discovered that the coyotes were actually keeping the gopher and rabbit population in check which benefitted their orchards and crops. What benefit, other than the wood ducks, were the beavers having?

Back home, I began my beaver research in an effort to “seek to understand.” According to Dr. Jessica Tegt of the Mississippi State University Extension Service, “Beaver ponds supply feeding and breeding areas for many species of waterfowl, reptiles, bats, birds, and insects. They provide essential edges and forest openings, create productive bottomland forest and supply moist-soil habitats for vegetation and wildlife.”

Clearly, beavers provide benefits, but they also cause damage. Jim Miller of the MSU Extension Service recommends trapping as the most effective method of reducing beaver damage. However, again it seems balance is key.

According to Miller, “Diligence and persistence is necessary for landowners to keep beaver damage at a tolerable level.” To me, that says strike a balance, find a way to live with them and limit the damage they cause.

So, what to do? I found several options to keep the beavers from clogging the culvert. I will start there. Will we trap again?

Perhaps, however, we will do it with a goal of maintaining balance and limiting damage, not elimination . I’ll keep you updated on how these coexistence efforts work out. I look forward to seeing you out there in our great outdoors.

Email Outdoors columnist Brad Dye at .