Page 45 - NT 2022 Almanac

Building a dam is a great outdoors activity now that
spring is on its way. You’ll need to ask an adult to help
you find the best place to build your dam. And make sure everyone wears wellies and some waterproof clothing!
First choose a narrow stream of clean, shallow water where you can paddle safely. Then you need to start looking for driftwood, loose mud, rocks and pebbles. You’ll use these to build
the dam. You’ll find the best bits and pieces
at places where the stream bends, as rocks and things will tend to get stuck there.
See if you can stop the stream from flowing or change its direction by building up your dam. Where does the water go?
Don’t forget to take down your dam before you go home so that the stream can flow freely again.
Beavers create dams to make a pond of deep, quiet water. They use their sharp teeth and strong jaws to bite through the trunks of trees. The trees fall into the water to make a sort of pond. Then the beavers chew off branches and sticks to make islands of wood in the pond in order to build their homes or ‘lodges’.
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