Beavers change things: it’s what they do. Part II

heidi08 Beavers or Social Ambasadors, Uncategorized April 13, 2008

Long-time beaver friend Linda K. sent this list of “Beaver Firsts”. It is worth reading aloud to a friend or co-worker. I originally met Linda at the bridge after she read the June article in the Contra Costa Times announcing that there was at least one kit. That morning was her very first beaver sighting, and as we stood together and talked we saw Dad swim by with not one but two babies on his back. For a first visit, that was some amazing beaver luck. In fact, you can faintly hear her “Oh my god!” on the footage in And then there were two. Here is what she wrote:

Before the beavers I had never:

spoken up at a public meeting
known so much about beavers
known so much about tidal activity
gotten up in the middle of the night and gone out in the rain to keep watch over something I cared so much about
spoken to strangers
smiled at strangers
spoken to people who had the appearance of having much different value systems than I
cared about the pollution in Alhambra Creek
learned to shut up and listen to opposing opinions
written a letter to the editor
sent emails to city officials
researched the brown act
dared to express a conflicting opinion at a public meeting
actively campaigned for a cause
had the tiniest belief that the Martinez city government was responsive to the wishes of its citizens (it remains to be seen if this will remain the case)
helped to organize a public event
been interviewed by a newspaper reporter
been interviewed by a television news anchor
purchased anything at Luigi’s store.
eaten at bulldog Barbeque
Actively recruited people to come to a city council meeting
met Martinez residents who feel the same way that do about many issues, not just the beavers.
Been proud to be a Martinez Resident (at least for a while).

That’s quite a list. And you know there are many more (possibly hundreds more) lists like this out there. Why not send me yours and help document what a keystone species can do in a town that honors its influence.

Heidi P. Perryman, Ph.D.

[contact-form 4 “Untitled”]

Don’t let this happen to Martinez…

heidi08 Uncategorized April 3, 2008

“Nature-deficit disorder is not an official diagnosis but a way of viewing the problem, and describes the human costs of alienation from nature, among them: diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, and higher rates of physical and emotional illnesses. The disorder can be detected in individuals, families, and communities.”
— Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods

(quote provided by s/c member Julian Frazer, picture sent to me by a friend)

Heidi P. Perryman, Ph.D.

Beavers change things: it’s what they do. Part I

heidi08 Beavers or Social Ambasadors, pictures, Why We Care April 13, 2008

As I stood at the dam this morning, watching junior working on some finishing touches, I thought about the idea of beavers being a “keystone species”. This is an ecological term coined in the 60’s which means basically that certain animals create a broad impact on the habitat where they live and that the ecosystem wouldn’t be the same without them. A more detailed description of this concept is in the report under the environmental section and it’s a good idea for all beaver advocates to be familiar with. Obviously the dam increases rich sediment which increases insects, which increases fish, which increases the things that eat fish (birds, mammals, turtles and so on).

Remarkably, an opinion was added to the conclusion of this section that while other beavers may well be considered a “keystone species” there is no evidence to suggest that these beavers are having an impact on Alhambra Creek.

(Other than the photos and the movies and the daily witnesses, you mean?)

Obviously we’ve seen the beavers change Alhambra Creek, and the media section of this website will help document those changes. Still the idea has gotten me thinking about some other ways beavers have changed Martinez; the community, the politics, the visibility. Beavers change things. It’s what they do. I myself had never written a newspaper article or made a video before the beavers came. I had barely ever attended a city council meeting or spoken to a stranger on the street. I had never had a documentary filmed in my living room or started a non-profit. More importantly, I had never realized how many people around me cared about the very same things I cared about.

How did beavers change you? I know some have told me they hadn’t spoken up at a meeting, or actively campaigned before. Some have said they hadn’t really noticed the creek or followed the wildlife on their way to work. Others started reading the Gazette or talking to their neighbors, and some just changed their dinner plans to visit Bertola’s in the evening. If you have some thoughts you want to share, send them to mtzbeavers@gmail.com. I’d like to follow with up with a tapestry post of how these beavers have impacted our lives.

My reflective morning visit to the dam ended with a chat with the now famous beaver-rescuer “K” while we watched Dad pull mud from the bottom and reinforce the downstream side of the dam. After he left for work I heard a whisper to “come look” from an unknown gentleman who had spotted this great display near the secondary dam. A cyclist paused to see what I was photographing, and commented that he had never seen such a clear view of these (or any) beavers.

I thought about how seeing beavers in our creek had changed my morning, and those three watcher’s morning, and wondered how many similar changes were waiting to be learned about.

Heidi P. Perryman, Ph.D.

The Dreaded Beaver Bug

admin Friends of Martinez Beavers April 1, 2008

Seems to have bitten more than a few over at KPIX. To those whose efforts have helped shine a spotlight on what our little band of ne’er-do-wells and miscreants are trying to accomplish – we salute you and wish you god speed.

All of us at Worth A Dam are certain you’ll be scooped up in no time.

It’s an “Org”!!!

heidi08 Beaver News April 2, 2008

Candy cigars all around and copious thanks to our resident web guru who transitioned us from www.martinezbeavers.com to www.martinezbeavers.org/wordpress. If you were checking the site a while ago you caught our temporary in-between state, but now we’re officially off and running. The change is possible because of our affiliation with Land for Urban Wildlife, which has helped us evolve our campaign from one about simply persuading the city to keep the beavers, into the more complex stewardship role where we are in a position to help them do so. Welcome aboard and let’s get to work.