Month: June 2015

Fairy-Tale Beavers

heidi08 Beavers June 5, 2015

Once upon a time, not so very far away, there was a fragrant and magical land called “Napatopia”. On its green shores grew berries and it was said that when pressed into elixir it was fine enough for the gods and guaranteed to enchant every spirit or soothe any uneasy soul who drank its nectar.

The berries of Napatopia were fed by a long and shining river that wound its way through the city.The river shifted in color from green, to blue to pale gray. Many years ago the river had been injured during the terrible Progress Wars, and the people of the land went to great lengths to repair it. Now the river itself was guarded by magical stewards of the Royal Channel Division who made certain that no foulness entered its crystal waters and that every hoof, wheel and bridge that passed it did so gracefully.

One day, some roaming beavers swam into the city. They had journeyed far and were weary of the bitter reception they had received on other shores. Napatopia seemed idyllic to them. They set about improving the crystal stream with three woven locks of their own creation, shaping gnarled branches into a rounded sturdy home where their children would be safe. They were ready to build a family and resigned themselves to being pushed along when their presence was discovered.

They were spotted initially by the First Channel Defenders who mentioned them to RCD and dutifully reported their presence to the wizards on the hill. After the destruction of the Progress Wars, Napatopia was attentive to the waters and wanted to make sure no harm would come to them.

But here’s where the story gets really magical. So lean in closer my child and prepare to wonder.

It seems Napatopia knew well the benefits of beavers to creeks and actually rejoiced to find the engineers had settled in their golden waters. A crier ran from one end of the town to the other proclaiming their joyful presence, and the river was strewn with roses to welcome their arrival. A great festival was planned in the land and for seven days and seven nights the fragrant air echoed with rejoicing.

Not everyone was thrilled with the beaver presence, however. Some worried that their locks would flood the town or block the roads. One nearby innkeeper worried they would eat his trees and wanted them dispatched. But a wise woman at the Calming Department of Furry Wonders suggested better a solution. The wizards waived their magic wands and protected the trees with shielding wire. The beavers ate his trees no more and he was happy. Besides, the creek was rich with other things to harvest, and FCD pledged to plant more trees that the beavers could soon enjoy.

Desktop7 — Last night in Tulocay Creek: Robin Ellison

And so it came to pass that the luckiest beavers in all the kingdom settled in Napatopia. And for many years and many nights they gave them richer soil, greater insects, more plentiful fish, and a river teaming with heron, merganser, mink and otter. Their offspring brightened other creeks and brought similar gifts around the city. Until the final traces of the Progress Wars were erased completely, and the stream became a living thing from mouth to tail.

You see, Napatopia always understood that beaver magic was the most potent gift of all.

___________________________________________________________

Meanwhile, in the nearby city of Marmeanest, the replenishing trees that watchers planted were uprooted, the beaver’s lush banks lined with cold steel and their presence on the town mural painted over.

Because, as you know, not every beaver story is a fairytale.

Who are beavers helping now?

heidi08 Beavers and Frogs, Beavers elsewhere, Creative Solutions, kits, Who's saving beavers now? June 4, 2015

Beavers are the boyscouts of the animal kingdom. Why they’re practically helping old ladies across the street, and literally making new habitat for all. Now there’s some new research underlining the fact that they also play a very important role for amphibians.

Trends in Rocky Mountain amphibians and the role of beaver as a keystone species

Blake R. Hossacka, William R. Gouldb, Debra A. Patlac, Erin Muthsd, Rob Daleye, Kristin Legge, Paul Stephen Corna t

We used explicit dynamics models to estimate variation in annual occupancy, extinction, and colonization of wetlands according to summer drought and several biophysical characteristics (e.g., wetland size, elevation), including the influence of North American beaver (Castor canadensis). Although beaver were uncommon, their creation or modification of wetlands was associated with higher colonization rates for 4 of 5 amphibian species, producing a 34% increase in occupancy in beaver-influenced wetlands compared to wetlands without beaver influence. Also, colonization rates and occupancy of boreal toads (Anaxyrus boreas) and Columbia spotted frogs (Rana luteiventris) were ⩾2 times higher in beaver-influenced wetlands.

These strong relationships suggest management for beaver that fosters amphibian recovery could counter declines in some areasand demonstrate the close ecological association between beaver and wetland-dependent species.

The study discusses the grim fate of frogs in general, especially the drying species not lucky to live near a beaver dam. I’m pretty sure that if we cared as a nation about our frogs, (or our salmon) we’d protect beavers as the key player they are. Maybe even issue a frog-fine to folks who remove dams. We could use those monies to have a national scholarship for flow devices fund. Am I dreaming?

Another part of that big tree near the bank fell across the creek this week. turning our urban setting into a scene from the amazon. No piranhas but plenty of happy beavers making their way around the new food source. There were lots of visitors of the bipedal variety too last night, including a photographer from Bay Area News Group. Let’s hope beavers smile in the paper soon.

We counted at least four sampling the new tree, which wasn’t brought down by beaver, at least directly. Sometimes we saw several at once coming and going in every direction. No kits though, yet. Although I have to think they’re going to find this playpen pretty irresistible. The adults certainly did. Here’s nice glimpse of a beaver shaking himself as if to see if he’s dreaming at his crazy good fortune.

I think THIS windfall will take several days to finish, which means great photo ops for us in the meantime! In Napa last night Rusty was finally able to capture the two kits in a single shot, which confirms my earlier suspicion that one of the kits probably has the most adorable birth defect of all time. Either it will self correct or he’ll grow to be a very unique adult.

a tail study

And if you can’t spot the difference dramatically enough there’s always this guide. I think I’m going to call this image the “GREEN EYED SNAKE TAIL”.

What is in a name anyway?

heidi08 Beaver-themed merchandise, Beavers, Beavers and Birds, Beavers and Frogs, Beavers and salmon, Beavers and trout, Beavers and water, Beavers elsewhere, Beavers or Social Ambasadors, City Reports, Who's saving beavers now? June 12, 2015

Beavers take over SPVP

Dr. Heidi Perryman will be at San Pedro Valley County Park Visitor Center on Saturday, June 6, at 6 p.m., for a talk she likes to call “Ecosystem Engineers in Martinez: understanding how and why to coexist with urban beavers.”

Beavers descended on Martinez in 2007, and by October of that year they had built a dam that the City Council determined could be a flooding hazard; the little dam builders were slated for extermination. Did the people of Martinez sit on their hands on this one? Come to the Visitor Center and find out about the story of the beavers in this Bay Area town.

Wow great start! So far I’m really impressed with this article that calls me Dr. and puts the story in context, making sure to give credit to the hundreds of concerned residents who made the difference! I’m sure it continues on in this wonderful vein, right?

Perryman is the president of “Give a Dam“, the citizens group that fought for the beavers. She is a child psychologist who’s probably naturally attracted to the problems of little creatures and says that she is used to speaking to a mixed age group; so bring your older children with you–probably age 10 and above. Dr. Perryman is part of the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, where she helps investigate and implement social action for ecological health. She was also on the committee that first responded for action for the beavers after meeting with the city council back in 2007, and which eventually gave rise to the Martinez beavers’ website.

ARRRRRRRRRG! What a paragraph. Easily and verifiably wrong in so may ways. Why does the world seems so quick to change our name? When I contacted them about the press release the author explained she saw on the OAEC website this sentence:

“In 2012, Perryman, Lanman and Brock Dolman from the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center’s Water Institute wrote their first paper reviewing the evidence for beavers in the Sierra Nevadas.“

To wish I can only say, sheesh. Don’t colonize me with those your dangling participles! Rick and I were not from the OAEC (and by the way there was another author listed too). And as for the name of our ACTUAL organization – we aren’t stupid in Martinez. We know our city will NEVER give a dam. I have Ann Cameron Siegal to thank for this apt musical response.

On the “Worth a Dam” internet location you can investigate more about this industrious engineer: just how it contributes to the health of any area in surprising ways, why beavers are valuable to all of us, and where their original distribution was in California before these large rodents were devastated by the fur trade and habitat loss.

It’s a nice article and should bring a good turnout, which is good because Pacifica will have beavers of its own soon enough. And I can take a few moments to correct the misunderstandings. Of course I sent copies to the mayor last night, so he can see their publicity in action. Wish me luck. I HAVE to practice today. I’ve spent too much time lately mooning of the images of the Napa kits and wondering when ours will show. And yesterday I had an useful burst of beaver begging for the silent auction, where I found THIS wine label that made me laugh as hard as I can remember doing in a long while. I sure hope they donate.

Not just another fish story

heidi08 Beavers and salmon, Beavers and trout, Beavers and water, Beavers elsewhere, Creative Solutions, Who's saving beavers now? June 2, 2015

Leave it to beavers to help salmon?

Although seen by some as a nuisance, the North American beaver (Castor canadensis) may prove to be a misunderstood ally in the field of riparian habitat restoration. Recent research has shown a linkage between regional declines of both salmonid and beaver populations. Dr. Michael Pollack of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration has studied the relationship between beavers and juvenile salmon for over a decade, with his first paper on the subject dating back to 2004 (Pollack et al. 2004) His research suggests that beaver ponds, like those found in the Stillaguamish River Basin in Washington, can benefit the river ecosystem as a whole.

By creating ponds, beaver dams enhance rearing and over-wintering habitat that can shelter juvenile salmonids from high flow events. Studies conducted in streams along the Oregon coast suggest that the survival of juvenile winter-run Coho salmon (Onchorhynchus kisutch), which can be swept downstream by increased winter stream flow, depends on adequate slow-water habitat. The readily available food and protective environment in beaver ponds lead to increased salmon growth and survivability. Beaver activity can take a bite out of woody riparian vegetation, but in turn it increases the input of large woody debris to streams, which provides in-river habitat for a wide variety of species. Riverside beaver dens have the potential to increase erosion by reducing riverside vegetation. However, the sedimentation that accumulates in the ponds over time can also reduce the volume of material washed downstream that could impair downstream habitat. A study conducted in Wyoming showed that sediment loads were decreased by as much as 90% after flowing through an area with well developed riparian habitat and beaver dams.

Great beaver promotion from some new friends at Fishbio in Oakdale CA. They monitor salmon passage with fish weirs on the Tuolumne river and have seen the number of beaver passes go way up. I’m not sure what nudged them into the beaver-light recently, but I was alerted to this by someone at my recent SARSAS talk, and the trout talk, so maybe things are cross-pollinating. I was a little anxious when I saw how close they were to the beaver-killing county of Merced on the map, but they are in Stanislaus County, which is one of the least lethal for beaver, only 50 depredation permits issued in the two year period we reviewed.

So whether you’re a beaver or a salmon: remember it’s better on the Tuolomne.

No kits last night either, but we did get to see that mom is deeply fond of apples and still sporting healthy teats. I’m thinking they’re looking a little less full so that has to mean we’re very close to a kit appearance. A weaning kit is a hungry kit looking for branches, am I right?

Kit Season

heidi08 Beaver Behavior, Beavers, kits June 1, 2015

When I was a little girl, we had a tall elm tree in the yard that would get covered with hungry caterpillars in the spring. My father, like all the men of his era, would dutifully fill a giant metal pumping spraycan with poison and douse the leaves. For hours it would rain fuzzy casualties in our front yard, and I, with my child’s sense of compassion and curiosity would gather as many as I could into an empty margarine tub and nurse them with leaves I pulled from the lower branches. They always died despite my best efforts. But it took a long time before I attributed their death to my fathers pumping smelly liquid into the air.

The circle of life, I guess.

I bring this up because it’s kit season, and from Alaska to Alabama folks are noticing just how adorable these little peanuts are. Kit’s are discovered on river banks and in parking lots, and rescued. Like my childish self beside the poison tree, rehabilitation folks scoop up the fallout and nurse it to health until they can release it to be to the wild where it will probably be killed just like its parents – leaving behind its own abandoned kits that the rehabbers will also raise. I can’t help but notice that kits are often promoted as “orphans” as if their parents were living Don Draper double lives or have hightailed irresponsibly off to Mexico. Instead of admitting that their family was trapped and killed because they were wreaking inconvenience. I guess it makes for a compelling story.

It’s baby season at Sarvey Wildlife Care Center

The folks at Sarvey Wildlife Care Center say the baby season is in full swing.

Susanne West said baby animals started arriving in late February – the earliest arrivals of spring in recent memory.

West said two river otters and a tiny beaver are the latest orphans under their care. The tiny beaver was found on a river bank with no other beavers around. It’s not known how it got there or what happened.

The SWC is in Arlington Washington, so I’m going to guess they have some idea about the orphaning. And that is an adorable photo. If you want to help you can donate here. Btw, you’d be surprised to know how very much that kit resembles my caterpillar patients. Lets hope he fares better than they did.

How about this from Anchorage?

Web extra: Baby beaver swims under Anchorage bridge

After watching that, all I can say is either that’s one BIG duck, or this is one very small kit. Also out alone before his time, probably because something fatal happened to his family. His rapid swim shows you how scared he is. Kits tend to amble because life is sooo interesting.

And remember Chapa the escaped kit in Kansas who returned to captivity? Apparently his news-worthy drama attracted some financial attention and he’s winning the beaver lottery.

Kansas Wildlife Exhibit receives large gift

Kansas Wildlife Exhibit supporters on Saturday accepted a $100,000 donation that will fund improvements to the Kanas-themed habitat. The donor is the late Pamela J. Edwards, who left a trust benefitting pets. The trust is managed by local veterinarian Christin Skaer.

The Kansas Wildlife Exhibit has been a mainstay of Riverside Park since the early 1900s, serving as the city’s zoo until Sedgwick County Zoo opened in 1974 when the exhibit’s focus shifted to native Kansas animals. Current housed animals include a bobcat, a skunk, birds and Chapa the Beaver.

Well, I hope you’re new digs are worth coming home for. I daresay you’ll be the luckiest beaver in Kansas, which means still not that lucky.

Closer to home, I was gifted yesterday with that adorable footage of the Napa beavers by Rusty Cohn. He is letting me use it in my talk next week and I am excited and grateful. Along those lines I thought I’d share this video he took that same night of his very nimble kit. Either that beaver’s doing yoga sun salutations or he has the most adorable birth defect ever. I have no idea how Rusty managed to film this without laughing.