As you enter the Boathouse, the wooden door creaks and dust gently dances in the cool lake breeze. You see fishing rods, life preservers, bait and tackle sets, and oars scattered around.The air in here carries the funk of mud, fish, and mildew.
As you inspect the interior, You see posters and charts lining the walls detailing the lake’s flora and fauna and all sorts of information regarding saftey around the lake. You get the strong feeling there might be more here than meets the eye.
A Poster catches your eye. It explains that there are many animals native to Lake Xenopus.
SAFE:
Xenopus Laevis – Invasive African Clawed Frogs are the most abundant animal campers tend to see here.
Crawfish – Another invasive species that campers may come across. “Just don’t get pinched and they’re a cinch!” the poster reads.
Fish– The most common fish Campers may come across appear to be Lake Herring and Bass variants. It’s important to throw all catches back as the fish population has been in decline in recent years.
Great Blue Heron – Long legged birds that frequent the lake and hunt fish. It appears someone wrote in sharpie near this one “Don’t do Herons”. You’re not sure of the context of this. Part of you doubts you actually want to know on that one.
DANGEROUS:
Coyote – At night campers may hear the call of a pack of coyotes. They are more afraid of us than you are of them. They are not dogs. If you hear Coyotes howling it is best to get in doors as soon as possible and never approach.
Bobcat– Although rare in these parts, Bobcat have been spotted a few times hunting bigger game in the area. Their fearsome growls are their calling card. If you spot a bobcat, never approach, but do not run. Try to appear bigger, make loud noises and stand your ground. Be calm, hope it moves on and report it to an adult immediately.
Black Bears – Also rare but tend not to approach unless they smell food. The key to black bear encounters is:
Face the bear.
Retreat slowly.
Observe the bear’s behavior.
Shout/Spray with bear spray
Tussle– as a last resort if you must fight, aim punches and weapons at the bears nose and face.
And always report the bear to the nearest adult.
An odd spinning diorama of a life preserver. You’re not quite sure what this could mean.
A poster outlining the rules of swimming in Lake Xenopus. Make sure to consult this before dicing into the murky waters.
A corny poster. Man they really like frogs around here… What a tangled web.
Looks like now there is a video playing on the old monitor in the back of the boathouse next to the retired canoes. Obviously another one of those lake safety measures. Is this place really that dangerous?