6-year-old helps save the beavers in Prince William neighborhood - DC Breaking Local News Weather Sports FOX 5 WTTG

With her flip-flops firmly planted on her back deck, six-year-old Abi Voss can count a lot of geese on Lake Terrapin. But you have to look a little harder to find her favorite animal, the beaver.

"They live on the side of the lake over there," she says.

Just last weekend, Abi's father, Norman, shot some video of a beaver gliding across the water. Abi thinks beavers are "cute" but not everybody thinks so. Some people in the area got upset because the beavers were chopping down trees in peoples' yards.

When some residents complained, the Lake Terrapin Homeowners Association decided to "reduce/remove the beaver population."

Virginia code says you can't "relocate" beavers, so the neighbors feared that at least some of the beavers were being killed. So Abi went door to door with a petition. The family even wrote a song about beavers.

One year later, the homeowners association still isn't answering FOX 5's calls, but a representative did tell Abi's mother they have decided to let the beavers stay.

"I was really, really happy," says Abi.

The homeowners association decided not to trap, but instead to wrap. They will wrap any tree at a homeowner's request. The idea is to make sure people and beavers can peacefully coexist.

"People walk around this lake all evening long just enjoying the nature of it," says Abi's dad.

Her mom, Jenn, hopes she has learned something.

"It's always better to try to do something than to sit around complaining," says Jenn.

Abi has no big plans for summer though she is learning to tell time. She already knows when it's time to make a change.

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5-Year-Old Petitions To Save The Beavers Living in Her Prince William County Community