Rick Demmer, Suzanne Fouty, Robert Beschta, Leonard Houston
Remember I told you our friend Leonard Houston just presented at the Oregon Watershed Conference? Well the “beaver panel” consisted of four pretty impressive names, and I thought I’d share one with you this morning. Robert Beschta is an Oregon State Professor Emeritus who spent ten years studying the effects of returning wolves to Yellowstone.
You probably heard something about this, but one of the obvious consequences of reintroducing the predator was fewer elk and more cautious elk. For years without danger elk could roam anywhere in the park, grazing on lush new shoots along the streams and destroying the riparian border. When the wolves came back they discouraged this behavior, and willow was allowed to become dense and bushy again.
This one is in Lafayette. The traveling beaver show will be on the road this morning teaching and making tails. The particular classroom helped the students make life-sized lodges last week so I can’t wait to see them.They had originally wanted a field trip to see the dams, but since our beaver dams are mosquito sized we decided this would work better.
There will be light posting this morning as duty calls, but you might enjoy two particularly compelling justifications for Mark Johnson, the animal control officer who took it upon himself to shoot beavers in Princeton New Jersey. The first is a comment, (I assume by his mother), who callers herself ‘Robotti”.
” I’ve always found Mark Johnson to be professional and competent in all my dealings with him, and I frankly can’t understand all the outrage by people when no one has heard his side of the story yet. He’s been doing a great job for us for 18 years, and deserves the benefit of the doubt. All of you anonymous commenters – how about posting some names so we can evaluate your comments in context? It’s easy to bash somebody on the Internet when you don’t have to be held accountable for your words. Anne Robotti, Princeton resident “
Yes it is sneaky how people can post under an assumed name, Robotti. (Does irony mean nothing to these people?) Don’t worry. My letter to the editor was set with my very own name. HEIDI PERRYMAN. Look me up and we can talk.
The second comes from this article about the sharp shooter being back on the job. Apparently Mr. Dog Catcher is getting a bit of flack. The paper approached him for a comment and he sagely replied
”I’ve been told not to discuss it,” he said. “I would love to clear my name.” ”It is what it is,”
It is what it is. There’s a man who sees the writing on the wall and repeats its phrasing handily. Honestly have you ever heard anyone use that particular line and thought to yourself, “I have such respect for their resolve! What courage in the face of adversity” ? I find it is the mobious-strip-refuge of little minds who want to pretend they are not responsible for their actions or the consequences that they incurred, but maybe that’s just me.
Princeton is having one of those weeks and it’s only Tuesday. Check out this letter from local naturalist and blogger Carolyn Edelman:
As a naturalist who writes on and photographs New Jersey nature in our region, I vehemently oppose the recent killing of two beavers in our community. I find it hard to believe that officials can justify slaughtering two such splendid animals on Friday (the 13th!) in Pettoranello Gardens.
We are no better than Chicago and its cougar, purportedly slain because “it was not accustomed to humans.” What is the meaning of the word “preserve” in the name Mountain Lakes Preserve, if it is not a haven for nature’s creatures? Mayor Goerner has demanded an investigation — which is appropriate. But it cannot restore wild lives.
I maintain the nature blog, NJ WILD for the Packet Publications. From earliest days, it has been greatly enhanced by splendid photographs by artist, Brenda Jones. I met Brenda and her husband, Cliff, when we were all three seeking beavers above the aqueduct on the D&R Canal. NJ WILD would be much the poorer without the presence of her art. Our friendship and creative partnership started in another park, a state park, where beavers, and even wildflowers, are purportedly protected.If Princeton is not safe for beavers, is anywhere?
As I understand it, this act took place in daylight with walkers on Mountain Lakes “preserve” trails. Is Princeton safe, then, for humans?
Nature is under sufficient assault from developers and climate change, without adding bullets to the mix. I, too, am outraged.
Carolyn Edelman, Princeton
Good work, Carolyn. It is worth going tocheck out the beaver memorial on her blog. I heard from Sarah at the Unexpected Wildlife Refuge that she would be driving down to Princeton this week to check things out. She is having no luck getting the attention of the powers that be but maybe this letter in the neighboring paper from a familiar face will help.
Dam-smart animal control can handle beavers
It is unfortunate that Princeton Animal Control Officer Mark Johnson found it necessary to shoot beavers illegally (“Outrage over shooting of Princeton beavers — Neighbors say park animals should have been relocated, not killed,” May 20), drawing uncomfortable attention to the city when real answers are 75 miles away.
Killing beavers is a short-term solution and a waste of taxpayer dollars — even if he had avoided bad publicity by using a trap. The Unexpected Wildlife Refuge in Newfield could teach the Princeton Animal Control Office what it needs to know about humane beaver management that works. Beavers are a keystone species, so finding inexpensive ways to tolerate their presence, prevent flooding and protect trees is an investment in the community and the watershed.
More important, it is extremely unlikely that Mr. Johnson was fortunate enough to shoot the father and mother beaver still pregnant with her unborn kits. Since it’s May, those kits have probably already been born, which means they are starving in the lodge without parents. I assume it is worth the township’s time to send a competent biologist to walk the area and make sure that isn’t the next story that hits the newspapers.
Any animal control office smarter than a beaver can keep a beaver — and knows why it should.
Heidi Perryman, Ph.D., Martinez, Calif. The writer is president and founder of Worth A Dam (martinezbeavers.org/wordpress).
Remember, Princeton, that New Jersey is the famous state where a beaver outcry in Knowlton caused such a stir it showed up in the New York Times. Martinez didn’t even do that. The end result was that the animals got to stay and the Mayor decreed that one day every year theDeputy Mayor had to dress up in a beaver costume to conduct official business.
Be careful, Princeton, or you could be next.
On a final note, GOOD LUCK TO OUR BEAVER FRIENDS Leonard & Lois Houston who will be at Oregon State University presenting today at the Oregon Watershed Conference on the value of beavers as a restorative tool. They’ll be joined by their hydrologist buddy Suzanne Fouty, and we wish them a roomful of converts! Go team beaver!
The very best reason to click on the video at the left, sent to me by a beaver friend from the region, isn’t because it has astounding and unparalleled claims of beaver damage. Beaver flooding is pretty unremarkable and much the same the world over. Or for the surprisingly myopic muskrat closeup in the middle – we all know cases of mistaken beaver identity are nothing new. No, the reason you should stop everything and click on the video and tolerate the short ad t’s to see the breathtaking beaver dam of 30 meters long across Buck’s lake in Kingston. For a moment I was so jealous I felt faint. Sigh.
The article is talking about the area of land thats like a liquid-laden right toe of Ontario, but even considering all that water their reported numbers of beavers killed are alarming. 6oo a year. That’s almost Hudson bay numbers. Wikipedia tells me that the entire basin of all of Ontario itself is less than 62000 square miles of water.
Surprisingly, although the number of dead beavers is going up, the number of trappers is going down. The article blames the tumbling price of beaver pelts.
In the 1980s, the trappers council had more than 100 registered beaver trappers. It currently has 30 active members. “There’s no money in it,” Deline said. “It actually costs money to do it,” he added, explaining trapping has become a hobby instead of a livelihood. “The old guys do it instead of golfing.“
“Wanna play a few rounds on Saturday, Ethan?” “Nah, my game is shot since the shoulder’s acting up. Let’s go kill some flat-tails instead!”My disbelief isn’t caused by wondering who in their right mind would find recreation in killing families, (because let’s be honest, it’s probably not the WORST thing these men do to amuse themselves). No, my disbelief comes from the quote. Who would say that? Out loud? To a reporter? Aside from the inhumanity of it I can’t imagine it makes your time appear very valuable. I assume you’d rather get paid for this labor than do it for free. That isn’t going to happen if you describe your services to national media as a HOBBY.
My favorite part of the good ol- boy commentary comes at the end,
“With the beavers causing such problems in Kingston it begs the question, much loved national symbol or public enemy number one? The answer depends on who you talk to.”
Public enemy number 1? Really? It’s good to know that as a nation you can prioritize. The Department of National Defense in Canada reported a budget for 2009 of c$19.5 billion. My calculator doesn’t reach up that high but since it’s your number one priority I’m sure you’ll be relieved to know that you can build a nearly infinite number of flow devices with that amount.
