Herons, kingfishers, beaver, mink, dragonflies and others are at home in the lake and its soggy edge. Canoes, available at the visitor center, can make the exploration even more enticing. The people who come to Beaver Lake Nature Center do so for a number of reasons. Some come for workshops and learning, some for exercise, some for solitude and reflection. Others come to stroll with a friend.
Some children come for a gleeful sprint down a leaf-covered path.
No matter, all are welcome. In the end, though, we each get the same nourishment from the experience. We are fascinated with and soothed by nature. In Hollywood, this has been the year of the natural disaster. Cinematic special effects made us cringe at the fury of a twister, a deadly asteroid bombardment and the rage of a volcano.