If you've visited the Beaver Lake Nature Center recently, you may have heard an unusual sound in the distance - a loud boom echoing across the landscape. No need for alarm!
It's not hunting season, and there's no nearby gun range. What you are hearing is a gas cannon, a common tool used by farmers to scare off birds like blackbirds and crows. These birds can cause significant damage to crops, especially sweet corn, and the cannon helps protect those valuable harvests.
The booms typically occur during the summer for short periods. Because farmers rotate their crops, the exact location of the cannons changes from year to year, meaning the sound might be more noticeable in some seasons than others.
Beaver Lake Nature Center sits in the heart of a rich agricultural region. In fact, much of the land that is now forest was once farmland. In the early 1900s, crops like tobacco, potatoes, strawberries, and corn were grown where you now see tall trees and shaded trails. A walk along the Hemlock Hollow Trail reveals this history — look for old fence posts or piles of stones once cleared from planting fields.
So the next time you hear that distant boom while exploring the trails, take a moment to appreciate the blend of past and present. Think of the sweet corn you’ll enjoy later this summer, and then turn your attention to all the nature there is to discover.
