Mock beaver dams to restore Wisconsin wetlands

Mock beaver dams to restore Wisconsin wetlands

Jay Dee Nichols stamped and packed stiff willow branches between maple wood posts, with muffled crunches.At 63, the semi-retired handyman from the Wisconsin city of Black River Falls has trapped beavers before. But he’s never heard of a mock beaver dam — much less constructed one.“It gives you an appreciation for what beavers do,” Nichols said over the shrill beeping of a skid loader. A scratch on his forearm oozed blood, drying into a scarlet s…