Beavers and Birds…

heidi08 Environmental May 9, 2009

They naturally go together. So Worth A Dam will be a display at the environmental mother’s day fair at Wild Birds Unlimited in Pleasant Hill today from 10-3. If you haven’t entered our “baby pool” yet to guess how many kits mom beaver is going to have, you can do so today and maybe win a free t-shirt. Why not stop by to pick a unique mother’s day gift, some cracked sunflower, or just to gape at their mesmerizing aviary, and say “hi”. Cecil and Mike Williams have been stalwart beaver supporters from the beginning, and are all around good people. Check out our 2009 Worth A Dam t-shirt, and the beaver keychains lovingly fashioned by a roomful of cheerful and crafty volunteers in my living room yesterday…

It’s our tribute to Mom’s everywhere. Come celebrate one of the most influential people in your life, your mom. Bring her in and show her a day she’ll never forget.

Schedule of Events
Wild Bryde Jewelry Trunk Show • 10:30am – 3:30pm
with designer Michael Warner.

Jim Shore Figurines • 10:30am – 3:30pm
Meet Betty Saunders of the Jim Shore line of garden figures, birdbaths, birdhouses, chimes and more! FREE drawing for a Jim Shore Piece.

Ne’Qwa Glass Ornaments • 10:30am – 3:00pm
Meet Norm Lewis and check out his beautiful glass ornaments

Kingport Fine Leather Goods • 10:30am – 3:00pm
with Jennifer Wilhelm.

Hummingbird and Butterfly Attracting Plants • 10:30am – 3:30pm
with WBU’s own Yvonne Breukers.

Native Bee Honey • 10:30am – 3:00pm
with Gary Eubanks. Live demonstration.

International Bird Rescue & Research Center Exhibit • 10:30am – 3:00pm
Learn more about this wonderful institution.

Worth A Dam • 10:30am – 3:00pm
Learn about the Martinez Beavers.

Meet Mr B. • 10:30am – 3:00pm
Learn all about caged birds and the story behind our aviary. Private orders may be taken.

Red Tailed Hawk & Educational Programs • 11:00am – 3:00pm
courtesy of Native Bird Connections.

Mt. Diablo Audubon Society Membership drive • 11:00am – 4:00pm
FREE 5# bag of WBU Nesting Blend (value $9.99) with each new membership.

All Day – Sample our delicious NEW Pepper Springs Dip Mixes!

All Day – FREE GIFT with every purchase while supplies last.

All Day – FREE International Migratory Bird Day stickers & coloring sheets for kids.

Ahhh Memories…

heidi08 Beavers elsewhere, Beavers or Social Ambasadors, City Reports, Creative Solutions May 8, 2009

The Medford Transcript

Just two weeks after 100 people crowded into City Hall to find a solution to flooding and blocked access to a fire road caused by a beaver living at Whittemore Brook, city and state officials were expected to visit the site of the problematic dam behind Winford Way.

Seems some pesky beavers have found some pesky advocates and are demanding realistic solutions for solvable problems. Lucky for them they picked Massachusetts as their watery residence, because Mike Callahan of Beaver Solutions is just a two hour drive away.

(We had to fly ours in 3000 miles!)

Read the cast of characters that inspected this problem, and fondly recall the major hoopla that we went through two Novembers ago. At least they have actually mention the word “Wildlife” in their equivalent of Fish and Game.

I was ready to watch a little must-see TV so went searching for video of their meeting two weeks ago. Unfortunately Medford doesn’t video tape and their minutes aren’t yet posted. Still its a familiar story.

I loved this part especially:

Ryan said the beaver issue has taken on a life of its own and residents far and wide are coming forward to volunteer their service.“People want to not only save the beaver, but also help the neighbors,” Ryan said. “The idea is to move quickly with professional help.”

Beavers change things. It’s what they do. Remember?

[youtube:http://youtube.com/watch?v=X7-i6MiGvbw]

PS That first image in the video isn’t a beaver, you all caught that, right?

Cleaning out the Cobwebs

heidi08 Friends of Martinez Beavers May 7, 2009

It’s time for the Spring Cemetery Clean-up! 10 – 2, Saturday, May 9th, at Alhambra Cemetery out on Carquinez Drive. The cemetery provides a historic glimpse of our colorful past, and meeting with your helpful neighbors shows us all something about our vibrant future. Beautiful, temperate weather is forecast. Bring your garden tools and gloves and help maintain Martinez historical sites in lovely rural surroundings. Water and leaf bags provided.

See you there!

Harlan Strickland: Cemetery Commissioner

Photo: daryldarko

Community

heidi08 City Reports, Creative Solutions May 7, 2009

Last night we were treated to the delivery of Mitchell Maisel’s report to city council explaining his intention to plant trees near the secondary dam to improve the watershed, protect wildlife, and augment habitat. Beaver supporters were in attendance as were his very glowing parents. Mitchell has already had two meetings with the city engineer and two with city staff, and has full permission for the planting. The biologist who is working with us to help the city engineer explain the value of this, Felix Ratcliff, came to the last one and was able to answer questions and clarify ecosystem issues. Some of our regulars weren’t able to attend last night, but it was a great, supportive community. (And what snappy dressers!)

This morning’s beaver show saw dad and a kit, with dad doing a fairly spectacular branch cutting near the primary dam. The big surprise though was the Western Grebe who was heartily enjoying a mornings mouthful at the secondary dam. The have a slender bill which they use like a spear to catch fish, and his was in top service. Western Grebes have the remarkable habit of forming floating nests anchored to plant material in the water and lay their eggs on a rafted bed on the surface. Tens of thousands were hunted not so long ago for their feathers, but there numbers have recovered and they do well where there is a stable water supply. (Like, oh say, a beaver dam).

Other exciting water developments include an aquatic version of the Caldecott tunnel leading from the first willow after the marina vista bridge to the water in the first scrape. Linda saw a muskrat commuting between water bodies yesterday, and then a beaver! I went down to photograph the engress, but our real photographer needs to catch a picture of a beaver coming out because that would make me very happy.

Couldn’t have done it without you…

heidi08 City Reports, Creative Solutions May 6, 2009

There’s a new kid on the block of this website, maybe you’ve already noticed. Check out the menu bar title third from the right labeled “consultants“. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

See that list? Those are the brilliant beaver minds around the country that I have persisted in bothering with questions over the past two years. I am quite sure that there is no more complete list of beaver experts anywhere on the web. Of all the things I have been forced to do to help the beavers stay in Martinez, this is the one of which I am proudest. Cultivating these relationships so that questions could be answered and clarified is the most useful time I have spent, and believe me I’ve spent some time.

I was a little anxious about asking them to lend their name to the website when I tentatively wrote for permission last week, but without exception each one responded positively and was pleased by the request. Each name is a link to their email, and business name is a link to their website, if they have one. If you don’t recognize a name, enter it into the search bar in on the right, because undoubtedly I have written about their sage advice in the past.

My goal is to have little Sarah from Nebraska or Michigan look up beavers because she wants to save some in her county, and find that list of professionals and be able to get her questions answered. Moving information is what the web is best at, and we have been moving information about beavers at a great rate.

Speaking of which, our own Cheryl Reynolds has started a Martinez Beavers Twitter. Sign up for latest alerts and sightings, or just mark the page to check from time to time. As of this inaugural morning she has 11 followers, but I’m thinking that will at least double by sunset.

Remember, come tonight to support our eagle scout candidate in his presentation on tree planting to the city. See you there.