Nature Deficit

heidi08 Environmental July 10, 2009

I normally wouldn’t even write about the crushingly sad story of the 75 year old Ohio woman who beat a fawn to death with a shovel in her garden, but something about the neighbors protective response gave me just enough ire to over come the head-shaking and actually type. Lets just assume that the woman’s actions can be explained by some form of dementia, but every person in her neighborhood could not be suffering the same degree of alzheimer’s. Obviously those neighbors saw or heard something of the thwacking assault and clearly did nothing — not even call over the back of the fence to ask what the hell she was doing. Apparently the fawn-killer in question has already retained an attorney to protect her from what could be, at its most severe, a 1000 fine.

1000 dollars to kill a fawn? It’s a bargain really. It was this quote that dropped my jaw,

“She shoved it on the shoulder and the deer fell over,” said another neighbor, who has spoken to Richardson and did not want to give her name.”You have to understand where she comes from – she’s a country girl.”

A country girl! I guess out there in the country they must stand around in rings whacking fawns with shovels on Saturday nights when traffic is slow. It’s not like “country folk” would know better, or have any greater understanding of nature. No thought that being a country girl might teach you that a fawn isn’t weaned yet so it isn’t even going to eat your precious tulips, or that whacking it in the head with a shovel might upset your neighbors or be considered cruel, (or you know, INSANE). Certainly no thought that finding a fawn in your ferns is a sign of divine blessing from the natural world, and the gravest compliment on your gardening care.

Sigh.

This story is so sad. If the woman was truly afraid it even makes it sadder. What it should make us ask is why are we doing such a bad job as a society of teaching each other how to live with the natural world? What a sorrowful testimony on the state of wildlife in Ohio to think that the presence of bambi could terrify an old woman. She was ten when Bambi came out, by the way. It’s impossible that she didn’t see it. Unlikely that she didn’t cry.

Tail slap!

heidi08 Festival, Friends of Martinez Beavers, Recent Sightings, Video July 9, 2009

Yesterday I got only the second tail slap ever on video. I’m pretty happy about the capture. I think it was dad, who was down by the outlet of the flow device while the yearlings were wrestling about nearby. He saw me on the bridge and wanted to make sure our ELUSIVE kits didn’t wander into harms way. Cheryl isn’t sure his nose is pronounced enough for papa, but we both recognize the message “You kids quit horsing around and get off my lawn!”

If our kits turn up eventually healthy and stable, then I think it would demonstrate a very good thing — that the beavers have adjusted to their stay in Martinez by becoming more careful of their young, rather than less. It’s a good sign that they aren’t becoming habituated or taking our intrusions for granted, and that they still have all the skills to be wild beavers.

Click on the photo to view the footage:

From Tail Slap July 7, 2009

One other piece of news. A close beaver friend suggested yesterday that I might ask our beloved columnist and animal advocate Gary Bogue if he would be willing to donate time with himself for the silent auction! I thought the idea was crazy enough to work, so I wrote him and asked if he would consider it. He wrote back this morning that it works for him! So make sure you bring your checkbooks to the festival. Worth A Dam is offering veryyy rare treats.Thanks so much, Gary!

PS We were added to the Land’s Council Website this week. The are offering this fantastic list of reasons to keep beavers. Check it out!

[youtube:http://youtube.com/watch?v=wI5AjJd00cM]

Little Beavers with Big Plans

heidi08 Beaver-themed merchandise, pictures July 8, 2009

Look at those outstretched fingers! Our yearlings have grown much more persistent lately. Cheryl Reynolds took this photograph last week of one standing tippy toe on the dam to get a low hanging willow branch. This morning two were wrestling by the flow device until Dad came and gave a tail slap to get them to pay attention. I assume he’s watching out for our incognito kits, but would sure like to see them.

An unknown county worker walked by on her way to work. “Are they out this morning?” She asked amiably, and when I nodded replied, “They’re alot of fun to watch!”

I couldn’t agree more.

Woodpecker Solidarity

heidi08 Uncategorized July 7, 2009

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend”… is said to be an old Arabian proverb. Wikipedia tells me there is a similar Chinese version which reads “It is good to strike the serpents head with your enemy’s hand”. All this to say that sometimes unusual allies find common ground, which is certainly not news to beaver supporters.

Case in point? When I went on my recent Safari West tour (which you and a loved one can bid on for your VERY OWN at the auction) I learned that the Rhino is actually doing much better in its struggle to avoid extinction because of a little medical wonder called “Viagra”. Apparently the odds of treating an erection problem are much better with modern medicine than with ground up rhino horn, which makes sense.

The past few days have seen alot of woodpecker traffic to the blog, and this morning Gary Bogue gave a huge nod in our direction. Woodgnawers and Woodpeckers are not such strange bedfellows: they are both fun to watch and can have some irritating habits. Apparently they can both also encourage alarmingly stupid thinking in the human species as well.

Our SFEP friend, Lisa Owens Viani, is starting a letter writing campaign about the woodpecker issue, and encourages you to write the hapless Public Affairs woman who was appointed to deal with this debacle. Here’s mine. She says that APHIS hates bad publicity, so your voice is going to matter. Send your letters or emails to

Gail Keirn, Public Affairs Specialist, U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, 4101 LaPorte Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521-2154. Phone: 970.266.6007. Fax: 970.266.6010. gail.m.keirn@aphis.usda.gov

If you have a few moments leftover and live in the East Bay, she suggests you contact Barbara Lee’s office at (510) 763-0370 or if you’re out this way George Miller (925) 602-1880. Sometimes an advocacy organization gets so large and successful it forgets how to be furious. This issue has certainly shaken Audubon right down to the angry grass roots. Civic cooperation can function as a kind of sleeping pill. I even saw it on a very small scale with the beavers. When the city was dressed up in its cooperative clothes it was so hard to know when to push and when just be grateful for the crumbs. Facing truly outrageous decisions like USDA has helped Rossmoor implement makes things simpler.

If Wishes Were Horses

heidi08 Festival July 6, 2009

As we near approach the beaver festival, I thought it would be worth mentioning our wish-list (not Wishpoosh list) and seeing what help might be out there. I have learned from experience that beaver supporters are connected to all kinds of jobs: county workers, garbage collector’s, elementary teachers, refinery workers, sheriffs and food service….you name it and there is probably a beaver supporter somewhere in it. So I am going to mention the things we need and hopefully you can find a way to help.

This year we will hold a silent auction at the festival. Our two biggest ticket items will be a trip for two to Safari West and dinner for two at Chez Pannise, but we need all kinds of items at all kinds of values. I have taken to imploring donations from my favorite coffee shop, restaurant, hardware store or hair stylist. Maybe you can you too? If there is a place where you’re a regular, where you’re known and appreciated, where maybe you’ve even been good naturedly teased about those “beavers”, maybe you could mention the festival and ask for a donated item to the silent auction? Such a gift is good advertising, will be seen by the community, will increase their profile, and help a good cause. Do you have a special skill, like woodwork or knitting? Maybe you could donate something you made, or donate a coupon for two hours of your time to teach someone else what you know? A Gift card from aunt Martha you’ve never used or an apron you’ll never wear? Consider donating it to the auction.

Anything you are able to contribute would be helpful. Donated items should be organized no later than July 25 so we can make sure they’re included and ready for the auction.

If giving is out of the question, maybe you would be willing to loan something? We need banquet tables and awnings for our displays. Let us know if you have any to spare and make sure they’re clearly marked so we can keep track of them. We could use a helpful pick-up truck owner to assist in transporting them as well. Maybe you could do a few delivery runs on the day? We need people to help set up and people to help take down. We could use some bold town criers to walk the main street peddlers fair and hand out fliers to tell them to stop by. We need girl or boy scouts selling cookies or sea scouts selling sodas. Maybe you can help organize children for the procession? Or help out for a few hours at either of the art projects? Maybe you’re a whiz with math and organization and can help out Linda at the membership table?

In the longer term Cheryl wants me to remind you that we still need help from a graphic artist to do a beaver illustration that we can use for a flag and sign. We always need help with the webpage, and love regulars to help out docenting and explaining things down by the dam. Access to a kiln? Maybe you can help us low fire the children’s art tiles. Maybe you are good at installing them and can help us once we wrangle permission out of the city. Maybe you’re an amateur videographer and can take footage of the day and pass it along to us to be edited or added to the website.

Of course, on the day itself, we need you and your grandma and your nephew to come join us to make a grand event. Bring your neighbors grandchildren and your camera. I can promise you it will be the very best beaver festival you’ve ever attended!

If you’d like to help, drop me an email at mtzbeavers@gmail.com. We’ll set up the particulars.