Crane Migrates North

heidi08 City Reports, Uncategorized October 22, 2008

Three updates and yesterday’s rundown. Two are worriesome. Yesterday SKip Lisle told us he is off to Vermont today, and he confirmed that last night. There will be officially be no oversight that can communicate with the workers on the project. Worse, Mom was observed by at least two people last night to have an eye injury/condition that has created a swollen ring around her eye, leaving the pupil barely visible. We will try to get a better look/photo and a vet consult to see if anything should be done.

Yesterday the Crane came to the end of its useful reach on Escobar, so was moved along. We had hoped (and been assured) that it was going to rest on the street and not (as rumored) on the grass directly behind the new lodge. As in nearly all things we were dissappointed. The Crane was laboriously fitted about 15 feet from the lodge, where it will rest for several days as the continue installation.

Even with this dolby-stereo vibration (the pilings in front and the motor behind) our beavers stayed hunkered, thank goodness. Sharp eyes on the bridges spotted only turtles and rats in the water, and this was a relief.

One bit of excitement during the day came when the peering property owner and crew sent down a camera to document the corner of his property which where the concrete was exposed. Skip was asked to get in the water and look for holes, which he did, and did not find. Everyone was snapping pictures of the space where a footing was apparently not present, although they had authoritatively told us that there was none to begin with. Funny how much time it takes to verify the absence of something you are certain isn’t there.

Skip expressed concern that there was greater impatience on the part of the crew that the work was taking so long. Everyone is well aware that this is not going to be the four day job advertised. We did have lots of positive contact with the crew today, one asked how to get a tee shirt and another went for a turtle tour with Cheryl. If nothing else, we have raised their curiosity.

Last night Igor Skaredoff and I presented on “beavers and watershed” for the Master Gardeners association in Pleasant Hill. It was a packed, cheerful, and organically intelligent group. Everyone appreciated Igor’s run down of the geology behind the waterways, and of course our furry heroes were a big hit.

“Something there is that doesn’t love a wall”

heidi08 Beaver News, Friends of Martinez Beavers October 29, 2008

Before I built a wall I’d ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offence.
Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,
That wants it down!”

Robert Frost

Me? I can think of one wall I’m not lovin’ at the moment. Today saw the installation of around 6 sheet piles. The line has been moved further out into the creek, and if it continues on its present course it will go right through the dam. We aren’t happy that the creek, which couldn’t endure the obstruction of three trees, will now have to cope with the narrowing of the entire channel. But that, as Edward Albee would say, is “blood under the bridge”.

Here’s the good news: Beavers were seen with normal behavior last night. A kit was observed riding on a yearling’s back. And Mom !!! for the first time was seen coming out clearly and making an apple run. Apparently there was a whole apple and a half of an apple and there was some consternation as to which she would claim.

Being a practical girl, who knows of life’s unexpected twists, she took both. Just tucked them under her arms and swam away, giving us a lovely tail confirmation in the act.

How do you like them apples?

Beaver Optimism

heidi08 City Reports, Creative Solutions October 20, 2008

UPDATE: Sheetpile delivered this morning, by a very nice truck driver who spent the last four days driving down from Ontario. Apparently he has beavers on his property too, and wondered why ours didn’t tail slap at him. He gave the kindly beaver watchers canadian nickles with beavers on the back. Four sheets installed so far, they are moving farther away from the wall, nearly five feet, which will narrow the creek channel considerably. No one is talking about how this will affect the West bank, but I have some hunches. No sign of our hunkered beavers, they are staying out of harms way for now.

One of the things I appreciate most about our famous furry family is their cheerful capacity to adapt to unwelcome changes. When life hands beavers lemons, they settle down to making quantities of lemonade. The most recent evidence of this is their plucky and creative use of the straw baffles down by the footbridge. These plastic wrapped eyesores are performing the inexplicable function of keeping the higher water from the lower water, but the beavers have finally seen the sunny side. They are climbing on them, sitting on them, and tonight lovingly piling one with sticks.

A Dam Starter Kit.

If you need a little more good cheer this morning, take a look at beaver friend Moses Silva’s recent patriotic in vivo experiment. He wondered how beavers might vote in the upcoming presidential election. Of course beaver supporters are heterogenous group, and will make their own decisions come election day, but if you want to know how this particular experiment ended up, you’ll have to see the answer for yourself.

[youtube:http://youtube.com/watch?v=f_MfD_ZKMTo]

Inspired by all this sunshine, I’ll try some beaver optimism. Here’s hoping the sheet pile gets safely delivered and ten sheets get installed today. No beavers emerge from their hiding place during the work, and five people contact me to volunteer for thursday and friday watch. How’d I do?

Because the beaver isn't just an animal; it's an ecosystem!

Month: October 2008