Northside has seen an increase of wildlife in the backyard this semester, including coyotes, swarms of geese, and even evidence of a beaver. 

Northside has the privilege of being located right next to the Chicago River, allowing various types of wildlife to thrive just feet from the school building. One common animal that is found along the river’s riparian zone (the area between land and water) is the North American Beaver. According to Wildlife Illinois, beavers are considered the largest living rodent, often weighing 35-90 lbs and measuring up to 3-4 feet in length. They are a nocturnal species, so seeing one during the school day would be unusual. However, students can look for signs that a beaver was in the area, such as a tree with tooth marks a beaver may have used to build its dam.

Northside senior Liberty Custer spotted an unusual-looking tree in Northside’s backyard on Wednesday, February 25. She had noticed an indent in the tree, with marks all over it, and decided to investigate what kind of creature could have been responsible. According to Liberty, “After comparing the marks to pictures of beaver bites online, we can say that it was most likely a beaver.”

There have also been recent coyote sightings in Northside´s Backyard. Wild coyotes have been spotted multiple times throughout the school week, and Northside has taken precautions to keep the community safe. To prevent students from coming into contact with the coyotes, the school placed signs on the backyard doors prohibiting anyone from going outside.

Despite our tendency to avoid them, coyotes play an important role in maintaining healthy ecosystems and ecological balance. According to Project Coyote, coyotes help keep our communities clean of carrion (decaying animals) and keep many rodent populations in check, allowing many bird populations to flourish. Seeing them in our own backyard is an uncommon sight that has created intrigue among students, and they have become an interesting part of Northside. 

Coyotes and beavers are not the only animals that are part of Northside’s ecosystem. Our backyard also hosts more commonly seen animals such as geese and squirrels. Geese like to stay near bodies of water, so the Northside’s location next to the North Branch has meant that students usually see geese daily in the spring. As the weather warms, an abundance of creatures/critters are also making their visits to Northside, including birds, squirrels, and insects. 

All of these animals play their own roles in our backyard, and we, as a Northside community, play our role as well. Being respectful to the animals and knowing when it is safe to be around them has been crucial to creating the positive relationship we have with our backyard. Keep your eyes peeled when in our backyard because you never know what you might be able to find!