The Call of the Wild

heidi08 Beaver News, Creative Solutions November 14, 2008

UPDATIEST:

Our friends in the media did their part to raise awareness. Did that reporter actually say “no one has been harmed yet?” Am I dreaming? Check out the reports here and here: we expect something from the SF Chronicle tomorrow.

UPDATIER:

Friends at MDAS enlist support. Worth A Dam contacts media buddies to see if we can get news cameras on site. Lindsay Museum says they have offered alternatives and support, and have many volunteers who live there and are dismayed by the decision. Following letter sent to Rossmoor paper.

Woodpecker Damage best managed through exclusion: Not A Shooting Spree.

I read today through Gary Bogue of this senseless plan to save buildlings by killing birds. Acorn Woodpeckers are one of our only polygynandrous vertibrates, meaning there are multiple males and females protecting one clutch. After having spent a year saving the Martinez Beavers, I am sadly familiar with how Fish & Game gives easy permission for extermination rather than real solutions for solving the problem. I have also had more than casual contact with how maintenance costs can be exaggerated to justify the easiest, most selfish course of action. I wonder what alternatives were presented to the community. John Hadidian of the Humane Society talks about exclusion as the most important deterrent method. There are several sources of information on line including this from Cornell University. Rossmoor isn’t the first place to face woodpecker management problems. The solutions are easily discoverable with a little effort. It’s time to show your grandchildren that you can solve problems with compassion and creativity. Don’t let this Thanksgiving’s trip over the river and through the woods end with the echo of gunfire.

Heidi Perryman, Ph.D.

President & Founder

Worth A Dam

UPDATE:

Just found out Gary Bogue will be speaking next week at Rossmoor, maybe he can mention something about a more sensible woodpecker control plan? Also heard from Robert Carlton of the Rossmoor Nature Association, who said that this was being driven by a small group of residents who have pushed the board for this action, and not the management. He did say he reads this website daily and is a friend of the beavers. Lets hope our beavers can help his woodpeckers.

He was sounding the deeps of his nature, and of the parts of his nature that were deeper than he, going back into the womb of Time. Jack London

Every now and then I think of this quote when I hear the plaintive beaver vocalizations as they communicate to each other. Certainly it is nothing like Buck’s fierce, existential, howl, but it is an unmistakable portal into another world: a deeply social world in which the other is an extension of the self, and even isolation is commual. Sometimes when I hear it I feel like it claims me as a guardian, keeping watch over the beaver’s difficult lives because I can. Sometimes I just want to turn to the person nearest me and create a parallel sharing: “did you hear that?”. Always I am aware that it is rare and precious, eavesdropping on the call of the wild.

Yesterday I got an email from beaver friend CB who wrote sadly about the death of one of the two adult white Geese who have become Starbuck’s Sentinels. She compassionately wondered what would happen to the other goose, now that its mate was gone, and wondered whether something could be done to move it back to the duck pond. I replied that I thought this particular pair of geese had all the skills necessary to survive, and that even alone, the widow would find its way back to the crowd if that was the right thing for it to do. CB’s kind attention to the geese and the beavers is a touching reminder of our capacity to answer the call of the wild with our own voice of compassion.

I was wondereing if you knew about the demise of one of the white geese outside of Starbucks on Main st..While the remaining mate called greetings to us and ate moldy bread, surrounded by beer bottles and plastic cups, she drank from water slick with oil. And I’ve been worrying about whether she is safe there by herself, or may be better off trying to survive at the waterfront with the other geese.Of course, she could go there on her own, but this is her feeding spot that she’s been inhabiting for awhile.I guess I’m just afraid she will suffer a similar fate as her mate, and wish there was something I could do to help. They were a symbol to me of the burgeoning life the beavers brought to the creek, and brought more of a sense of community downtown, with children gathering to feed them and say hi, and people of all ages enjoying their presencse. We are also great lovers of the beavers and with the long summer days, it was easier to visit the geese on our downtown strolls, and swing by hoping to see the beavers if we were out late enough.One of my daughters first 30 words was BEAVERS! She has seen them and gets excited everytime we’re downtown hoping to see them. Now it will be easier with darkness falling so early. They came right around the same time we moved to Martinez, so they are somewhat of a personal icon for us, their babes coming around the same time mine did. I’m so happy they’re doing well and have new kits and have brought new life to the creek.They are a blessing to Martinez and I’m thankful to all who have helped them.

Sincerely, CB

Lastly a sad call to the wild from Rossmoor where they have received permission from Fish and Game to exterminate 50 Acorn Woodpeckers which are burying their favorite treasure in unwelcomed places. Exaggerated costs are being used to justify the killing. I have to wonder, does F&G ever say no? The shooting is slated to happen this week. Write your local paper to get the word out, give them a call at (925) 988-7682 and stop this slaughter, or get your video camera and see if you can get some images on you tube. I can imagine a sister “save the woodpecker” sight…maybe Worth A Nut?

[Comment From Molly Mullikin]
We live in Rossmoor in Walnut Creek. They have obtained a permit from US Fish/Wildlife to shoot 50 acorn woodpeckers who are stashing their winter supply of acorns in some of the residences. I sent you 2 letters regarding this (at Susan Heckley’s suggestion of LWM) but you didn’t print them. We (some concerned Rossmoor residents) were hoping to elicit public outrage. How come you avoided the subject? Woodpeckers are due to be exterminated this week. So sad!!!!

8:49

Gary Bogue: Believe me, the subject hasn’t been avoided. You aren’t the only one to write me about it. I’ve passed the notes along to a reporter who is looking into it. I am also researching them and contacting the feds to get them to explain why they have issued permits to KILL all those protected birds. There are other ways. Keep me posted on things you hear. Also send me your phone number so we can talk about it. Thanks.

I just wanted to save some beavers…

heidi08 City Reports May 9, 2010

So the Gazette has an editorial today in response to my letter. My letter isn’t printed, but the response, of course, is. It accuses Worth A Dam of being “Conspiracy Theorists” and then proceeds to describe the conspiratorial means by which we ply our conspiring trade. Apparently she got three letters in response to sundays column on the same day. It is of course impossible that any of our 500+ regular readers of this blog would have had their own reaction to the paper running the story after the election. Its not like people stopped me at the dam when I wrote about the historic photo or when they heard about it on the news and asked, “have you sent this to the Gazette? They should run something”.

Obviously, no one other than conspiracy theorists would think that the fact that it appeared on the blog on the 29th, and in the paper on the 9th, is confusing. Surely only JFK whackos could be dismayed by the final “Seeking Council” column on affordable housing appearing on election Tuesday, when it was slated for the Thursday before.

Still, I’m not sure how one person making a bad decision constitutes a conspiracy.

I don’t know why the story wasn’t run before the election. I know for a fact it was received, but it may have been mislaid, forgotten, or shuffled out of site. I know that I can do more to followup when I’m not siting 8 hours a day on bridge watch before going to work. Maybe it will never happen again, and its a complete accident that it happened now. I’d feel more reassured if my letter, (unfounded accusation that it was), or any of the mysterious trio, was printed along with the rebuttal.

In the meantime, we are told to expect a column Thursday on the bank stabilization project. Since the Gazette is reading this blog at the moment, (to find what offensive material they might need to react to next), allow me to suggest what will happen when you contact councilman Ross and the city manager. Ross’ response will likely be the same as for Bay City Media, in which he says the bank of Bertola’s was never the concern. You may want to review the engineering reports to check if that’s true. I have highlighted the relevant passages here. If confronted that this is not what was said in court, the next excuse will be that this job was planned all along for that wall but the city ran out of money in 2000. To verify that you would have to get the city plans from the engineer, because to my knowledge no one’s ever seen them. Actually, I wouldn’t bother because the argument was never over whether this was planned for the wall, but whether it was an EMERGENCY that could affect downtown businesses if delayed. Finally, it would be useful to go back through the special assessment tax records and find out what the property owner paid in 1999 towards the flood project. I’m sure readers would like to know the Return On Investment he received.

Here’s some nice beaver followup in the meantime.

Mom Seen

heidi08 Beavers November 11, 2008

Beaver regulars saw mother beaver last night and this weekend, looking healthy. Her eye appears to be healing well. Kits were out last night being kit-like and Worth A Dam got a lovely thank you note from Alice of the MDAS saying that we made many new friends to the beaver cause Thursday Night. An updated brochure heads to the printer’s this morning, as the Amtrak station seems to be getting a lot of interest regularly. Our muskrat population is returning to its pre-mink size, and tulles are starting regrowth in the scraped section.

The year's at the spring,
And day's at the morn;
Morning's at seven;
 The hill-side's dew-pearled;
 The lark's on the wing;
 The snail's on the thorn;
 God's in his Heaven -
 All's right with the world!
          Robert Browning

5 days late and 400,000 dollars short

heidi08 City Reports November 10, 2008

UPDATE-

Gazette editor responds to letters received saying that she had no knowledge of this photo. She feels she has been a staunch ally for the beavers and would never delay information because of an election. While acknowledging her genuine surprise at the implication, Worth A Dam maintains that the photo was brought to the office on the 28th, and scanned and emailed to the Gazette on the 30th. Linda Meza’s column that discussed the photo was received on the 29th with assurance that it would be published on Sunday, which it was not. I sent three subsequent emails referencing the photo and received no response. It is possible that there is a massive misunderstanding here, and that we are all reporting our experiences accurately. I do know that I have valued the Gazette’s interest in the Beaver story and considered it an ally in the past.

Letter to the Editor:

Sunday’s Gazette ran the teeth-clenching story of the historic photo which proves that the emergency bank stabilization project was unnecessary. This 1999 picture shows an obvious footing to the wall and no bank at all. The allegation of impending danger from “separation of the bank from the wall” was meaningless. The Gazette has been aware of this photo since October 28th when it was discovered. The story was circulated on the Worth A Dam website and Bay City News on October 30th. Apparently the paper made a deliberate and incomprehensible decision to hold this revelation until after the election. Now that our incumbents are safely re-seated, we can discuss the lies that got them back into office.

The voters of Martinez should be very disappointed by this delay.

Happy Anniversary, Beaver Friends!

heidi08 Uncategorized November 7, 2008

Exactly one year ago tonight beaver supporters gathered at the Alhambra High School Performing Arts building and delivered a three hour, 50+ comment sermon on why the city should do right by our beavers. It delivered enough of an impact to stop the steaming locomotive of a plan to exterminate, and even to relocate. It frightened our previous city manager into retirement, and it made 150 residents feel that maybe the people have some power after all. Keep in mind that this was before Worth A Dam, and before the existence of this webpage. The support for these creatures arose from all across town and a hundred different voices. The night is well worth remembering.

Last night’s talk on beavers to the Mt Diablo chapter of the Audubon society was also well attended and appreciated. I had expected a few scruffy retirees around a dim table. I found a huge hall with microphone and chairs for 100. The many gathered faces spanned the age spectrum and were quite knowledgeable. There was particular discussion about the poisons being used to control rodent population in Shadelands, and the subsequent impact on all animals including birds. More on that soon. These were people who were used to working hard for a cause, and I felt a certain respect that we had given so much for the beavers. There were several knowing nods in the environment-savvy group when I talked about beaver impact on the riparian ecosystem and the animals that depended on it, and cheerful speculation on whether the city would appreciate our efforts to put them on the map. It was a delightful evening, thanks Alison for inviting me.

My apologies to Nancy Skinner from the EBRP, who was the second speaker and asked to review the passage of WW. She was very grateful for the support and the opportunity, and felt that it was a good time (with the economy tanking) to pick up regional land sales. Unfortunately, she decided to try her presentation on my computer, and it wouldn’t run. She said she’d come back another time to walk through the presentation, and was pretty sanguine about it. EBRP has been very kind to the beavers in general. Over a year ago Ted Radke, Board member Ward 7, wrote me a card thanking me for the youtube videos, which he had presented to the board. (He was very surprised to see his handwriting in the scrapbook when he stopped by the beaver booth at the farmer’s market!)

To celebrate our anniversary night, I recommend you replace your latest netflick’s with this. I still am blown away by the depth and breadth of comment. Since then our beavers have made national news, a documentary, a children’s book, had a festival, won first prize at Art in the Park, worked over 50 farmer’s markets, Earth day at the Muir site, and the Bird show in Pleasant Hill . Worth A Dam has raised over 10,000 in donations, and received global support. We presented for all the elementary summer schools MUSD, ESA students, the master gardners, the MDAS audubon society and the Sierra Club. Our photographs will appear in the state wide curriculum from the EPA, in the Cornell University Bird Calendar, and in the Creek calendar for Watershed. We have been featured twice in Bay Nature & the LA Times, as well as the SF Estuary Project October issue and state of the Estuary.

Happy Anniversary! It’s been a remarkable year, Martinez. Let’s keep it up.