As snow continues to blanket the ground, and the plummeting temperatures cause the air to bite at exposed skin, I can’t help but reminisce on warm summer day adventures. One adventure in particular had me exploring local wetlands, those special places where water and land blend together to create exquisite, diverse ecosystems. One wetland gifted me with a memory I won’t soon forget, and reminded me just how beautiful even the simplest experiences in nature are.
This quiet marsh first caught my attention when I spotted the large beaver lodge off in the distance. Beavers were once scarce on the Northwoods landscape, nearly being trapped to extinction by the fur trade in the 1800’s. They have since then made a comeback, and have influenced the landscape by building their dams. In my attempt to capture a photo of the lodge, I laid on the culvert to get a steady photo, but a rustling right next to me caught my attention.
The emergent vegetation along the bank of the marsh swayed as an unknown visitor moved along the water’s edge. I willed myself to be still as my eyes slowly searched for the source of disturbance. Through the thick swath of twigs and leaves, I saw the culprit. Their brown fur, dark and wet, camouflaged them against the muddy edge. A muskrat was scrounging back and forth from the deeper water near the culvert to the shallow edge, searching for a meal. They rooted around in the mud with their long, dexterous fingers, and swam back to the water’s edge with their meal.
I watched as they nibbled away at their meal in the safety of the dense vegetation. Once it was gone, they turned back to the water and began searching again. Muskrats eat many aquatic plants, such as cattails, water lilies, sedges, and rushes. They target the roots, stems, leaves and fruits. This particular muskrat seemed interested in harvesting roots. I continued to observe them silently as they snacked to their hearts content, until they quietly slipped underneath the water and left.
Even in the heart of winter, muskrats are harvesting food. Their thick, waterproof fur keeps them warm as they dive under the ice. Once they have their bounty, they resurface into mounds on top of the ice called push-ups. These vegetated shelters provide them with a warm, safe place to rest and eat, and a place to catch their breath while foraging. And while I loved the experience of observing the muskrat up close this summer, I will leave them to diving underneath the ice to forage on their own this winter.
For more than 50 years, the Cable Natural History Museum has served to connect you to the Northwoods. Our Winter Calendar is open for registration! Visit our new exhibit, "Becoming the Northwoods: Akiing (A Special Place). Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and cablemuseum.org to see what we are up to.
