This fall The Greenheads are taking on the Animal Allies Challenge. The challenge is composed of Core Values, Project and Robot Game components. For The Project, they were tasked with:
- Identifying a problem when people and animals interact.
- Designing a solution that makes the interaction better for animals, people, or both.
- Sharing the problem and solution with others.
The Greenheads (Ashton, Kayden, Dylan and Quinn) live in Ipswich, MA by Willowdale State Forest. This year most of Massachusetts has been in a significant drought. However, most years, in the spring and winter, a section of the trail they walk and bike on can become impassable because of flooding and ice due to beaver activity.
The team decides to explore taking on this problem for their project:
The existing solution was made up of two planks. This solution was functional as long as the water levels remained low.
The team began by conducting some online research. This led them to consult with beaver expert Mike Callahan from Beaver Solutions. During their interview, Mike explained that beavers are a Keystone species and their work is critical for biodiversity. He did a great job describing how the work that beavers do can be a nuisance for people but how simple solutions can be deployed to remediate common problems seen when people and beavers interact. The kids proposed their idea of building a bridge to replace the current planks on trail 75 and Mike offered feedback on the pros and cons of such a bridge, along with the materials that could be used.
The team also got feedback from year round users of the trail on what features would make a new bridge an improvement over the current solution. The consensus was that the bridge would need to be wider, longer and elevated above the trail. One feature request was for the bridge to allow for better drainage, as the current solution became very muddy and icy at various points in the year. To accommodate this request, the team decided to build an arched bridge with planks spaced a half inch apart. The arched design has the benefit of directing water run-off through the gaps between planks and also achieves their goal of having the bridge stand higher off the trail.
After reviewing bridge building videos on youtube and deciding on the specifics of their plan, the team collected the necessary materials and went to work.
The teamwork on the build was excellent!
With the bridge complete, the kids made their way to the trailhead and hiked out to trail 75. The bridge was pretty heavy but they did an amazing job hauling it to its new home!
The team got right to work on clearing out existing debris from the stream and setting up a strong, stable stone base for the new bridge. The recent drought allowed the kids to work in relatively dry conditions.
The stream flows beneath the team's new bridge.
A job well done!
I couldn't be more proud of The Greenheads. Their teamwork was first-class, they had a lot of fun, and they learned a great deal about the importance of human and beaver interaction. Their solution is certainly an improvement over the previous one and hopefully their efforts will improve the alliance between people and beavers by allowing the beavers to continue to improve biodiversity and water quality in the area while permitting people full access to the trails throughout the year. The team is now sharing their work with the community and preparing for their upcoming robotics event later this month. Go Greenheads!!!
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