Arden's Wildlife

Arden is an amazing community to observe and learn about all kinds of plants and wildlife. From our amazing shorelines to the many wooded trails, and the Arden Pond located at Beach 1, you can escape the hustle and bustle of your busy routines for some down to earth connections with nature and a little mental health therapy. Be sure to check out the wilderness around us!

We Have Beavers!

Many of you may have noticed the rising water levels in the bog area at the bottom of Plum Creek Drive "Hill". After meeting with DNR and investigating the situation, it has been determined that a beaver family has constructed quite the structure to retain water for their home. DNR does not trap and relocate beavers, and with a private company, there is no guarantee that the beavers trapped would actually be relocated but rather euthanized. Concerns with removing the dam include destroying the wildlife habitat it has created which is quite extraordinary, but even after removal, other beaver family members would only rebuild, hence an on-going cycle. At this time, there is no infrastructure damage that the County would be concerned about, and no danger of flash flooding. So, for now, the beaver habitat will remain in place. If you get the opportunity to stop and check it out, it is truly worth the time.

Nature in the Neighborhood (Bat Edition)

by Kerry Wixted 3/14/22

"I  took a quick hike in the Section 4 woods with my husband. Imagine my delight seeing this furry cutie at the base of a tree!!

This is a hoary bat. They migrate, and this could be an early arrival or one that stayed in torpor (temporary hibernation) under the leaf litter. I've never seen one of these tree bats in person, and this species is much more common in the mountains of Maryland.

The hoary bat has a fully furred uropatagium (tail membrane) to keep it warm. I didn't disturb it but will check again today to make sure it has moved on. Its' cousin, the eastern red bat, is much more common in our neighborhood.

How wonderful is it to live in an area with so much wildlife?! 🙂"