Day three of the de-officing and I am without beaver news to share or time to share it. I thought I’d post a wintry favorite, and hope the picture tells the story for me. I’m in love with this painting by Margaret Cobane, follow the link to see her other wonders. She was kind enough to donate this for our silent auction a few years back. The winning bid now sits with Lory’s Christmas decor on the mantelpiece. And you can see why.
Add Kansas to the map of states that have now installed a flow device. I got a message this weekend from a Jamie Stewart concerned about a beaver in Coffee Creek Crossing – not the prison – the OTHER kind of gated community, on the furthest border of the state. It happens to have a stream that carries their storm water back to the creek. A enterprising young beaver had moved into the stream and was making a pond between two anxious home owners, obviously a disperser looking to make it on his own. Not only had the author of the email explained how good beavers were and talked the HOA into not trapping, but he worked with volunteers to wrap trees and install a castor master! So hurray for Jamie who got Kansas on the FD map!
Here’s a peaceful look at a Beaver pond in winter from a blogger in Michigan.
On December 13th, the temperature soared to a record-setting 62 degrees in Oakland County. Even though the sky was overcast and trails were muddy, that Sunday afternoon was perfect for a nature-embracing hike on the Wilder Side of Oakland County. With camera in hand, a compass in my day pack, and a spare pair of hiking boots in the car, I set off for the Ortonville State Recreation Area. The park is 5,400 acres of wildland managed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources that spans Genesee and Oakland Counties. That’s where this tale of bullfrogs and beaver ponds on a spring-like day in December takes
root.
An hour into my trek I noted trees freshly cut by beavers. Evidence showed they were taking advantage of the warm weather to add to their winter cache. A few moments of skin-tearing bushwhacking through prickly ash brought me to the edge of a secluded beaver pond. I was about to focus my lens on the beaver lodge when a series of splashes near the shore drew my attention. I walked slowly to the water’s edge and sat on a fallen tree to see what was making th
e noise. Suddenly, I noticed a shape out of place on top of the massive, prehistoric-looking floating root of a yellow water lily. Bullfrogs were out! There they sat, partially draped in duckweed, sitting patiently, waiting for bugs and flies and other insects that will not come.
Now mind you there is no mention of how one creature is a valued ecological engineer who makes nature richer and one is an unwelcomed resource-draining pirate who makes it poorer, but I’m a sucker for anyone who walks into nature and appreciate what he sees. Credit where credit is due.
Nice writing and observation from Jonathan Schechter, reminding us all to take a winter hike soon.
Finally a beautiful fictional Christmas Day Address to the Children from the Gone but Not Forgotten Grey Owl. Enjoy!
This is not the address that I was not allowed to give on December 20, 1937 on a BBC Radio program called Children’s Hour. I will share that with you at another time. I thought I would compose an address that I would like to give now if that were at all possible. Perhaps you know a child you could read it to. Miigwetch.
Hello children I am Grey Owl and I have come to speak with you from the wild Northern Woods of Canada. To be more truthful I am the Spirit… the Manitouwabi of the man who came to be known as Grey Owl. When I was alive I believed that I had seen the worst of what people could do. And children, I have to confess to you that I myself treated my wild brothers and sisters in ways that I am not proud. I trapped animals for their fur that I myself had no use for. I paid no attention to either the rules of law or Nature in my pursuit of the money that this killing would bring me. I am deeply ashamed of these things children. Do you know who showed me the error of my ways? Can you guess who this great teacher was? It was Ahmik, yes it was my Beaver
There are still many people who believe that Nature belongs to Civilisation and people can do whatever suits their needs in pursuit of wealth. Children, this is wrong. Nature belongs to no one. In fact, we all belong to Nature. Just as my Beaver People showed me the truth, people need someone to help them see their mistake. I believe I know who this great teacher should be. It is you children. I believe you all still know in your hearts how wonderful The Wild is and that it needs to be taken care of. It is up to you to spread the word to all the adults. Tell them you want The Wild to be alive and well when you are grown up. Tell them that all of Your Wild Relations have the right to live a happy life in their wild home. Tell them to stop destroying them and their homes just to make more money. Can you do this?
I know you will be the heroes this world needs. Remember that I am there with you, on the wind, in the water and everywhere your Wild Relations call home. Good bye.
Ahh that was lovely, thank you Archie. We’ll not forget what you taught us.
Apparently the Devon Wildlife Trust is sponsoring a PhD candidate to study its beavers. Hmm. Here’s hoping that bringing in the science signals actual learning curves for the Devon beavers, although there’s been plenty of it done already, and we all know how effective that was.
![image[1]](https://www.martinezbeavers.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/image1.jpg)
The University of Exeter and the Devon Wildlife Trust (DWT) teamed up to recruit Hugh Graham, a geographer who is returning to academia after a year in industry. Their work could one day influence government policy on the animal’s reintroduction, but they will need the support of other enthusiasts to make it happen.
“It’s very much an interesting topic for me,” said Hugh. “I do a lot of fishing and kayaking and spend a lot of time on rivers. “It’s a good opportunity to look at how they impact on river life. It encompasses a lot of what I’m interested in – I’m excited to see them.”
The DWT has plenty of biological and ecological expertise, so Hugh said he was ‘filling in the blanks’ from a geographical standpoint. Hugh will look at the beavers’ physical effect on the river, studying the hydrology and the changing shape of the banks, as well as their impact on vegetation and insect life. They have been known to coppice willow trees to promote growth, and their dam-building can help to improve water quality.
The instinctive behaviour can also reduce the risk of flooding, but Hugh said the animals are unlikely to build on the River Otter, as they only tend to do so in shallow water when they feel unsafe.
HUGH! Welcome to the beaver team! I can only hope that your year in industry wasn’t making hats or perfume. I’m fairly certain that if you actually look at the effect of beavers over time and report what you learn you’ll get a positive view of their return.
Here’s hoping!
And some seasonal (and yes I said season, deal with it) cheer from our beaver friends at OAEC.
A fairly adorable beaver story is making headlines today, this from Caledonia in America’s dairyland, a village in Racine that mysteriously enacted special laws to become an actual designated ‘village’. Let’s just saw they’re a little quirky and enjoy their unique style in this article.
CALEDONIA — A Caledonia police officer got a furry surprise on a call Wednesday near Johnson Park.
“It was the last thing I’d thought I’d see,” Officer Andrew Gelden said. “But there it was: a beaver in the roadway.”
Gelden was dispatched just after 3 p.m. Wednesday, when the department received a call about a beaver “hanging out” in the middle of 3 Mile Road just east of Johnson Park. A self-professed animal person, Gelden arrived on the scene, scooped up the beaver and put it in the back of his squad car.
The beaver did not appear to be injured, according to Gelden, and he quickly located a new home for the critter.
“I know they like water, and so I moved it over by a pond,” Gelden said.
Gelden said the beaver was very calm, and after he set it down near the pond, it “just kind of sat there” looking at him for a while. In all, Gelden said it took him five minutes to get the beaver to safety.
Ohh! He looks a little scared back there, don’t you think? Well most of us feel scared in the back seat of a police car. I’m glad the officer picked him up off the road. I wouldn’t think he’d be dispersing at this time of year, but I he might not have a calendar. The weather was below 30 last night, so ponds must be starting to freeze.I guess compared to lots and lots of folks that’s a pretty adorable mug shot. It sounds like the officer was very kind and very Wisconsiny. Which was lucky for him, and makes a nice story for us.
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of
Hamlet Act III: Scene 1
Apparently I’m not the only one who uses this ominous threat when people are thinking about getting rid of the beavers on their land. Deal with the beavers you have, I always say, because the one’s that come next might be even more problematic. Meanwhile Dr. Peter Busher at BU is busy researching it.
Peter Busher has been studying beavers for four decades. A College of General Studies professor and division chair of natural sciences and mathematics [at Boston University], Busher was the first person to track the animals by tagging them with radio transmitters. He examines beaver population dynamics and behavior, including mating habits, birthrates, group structure, and how the animals migrate from one area to another. His findings could inform decisions about how communities respond to beaver activity and manage the animal’s populations, both in Massachusetts and across the country.
Busher says an influx of beavers in a community can raise alarms, causing heated discussions about whether trapping should be broadened to control the population. But he points out that some behaviors can be beneficial. Beaver dam building expands the wetlands, whose functions include filtering toxins from water, supporting biodiversity, and mitigating floods. (Busher notes that wetlands loss contributed to the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.)
It’s important to understand how the animal’s population naturally develops, Busher says, and how its family dynamics work. Beavers are territorial, live in family groups, and are selective about which sites they inhabit permanently. These factors mean their populations spike when they move into a new area, but generally drop and stabilize over time.
Knowledge of beavers’ mating habits—which can vary based on their environment—could influence how communities manage the rodents and their “nuisance activity.” Although beavers are known to be among only 3 percent of mammals that are “socially monogamous,” raising their young exclusively with one partner, researchers do not know much about their pairing behavior. Do the parents also mate with other beavers and raise a mixed brood, or are they sexually exclusive? Busher wants to find out.
He believes genetically monogamous beaver populations—those that tend to mate with one partner—increase more slowly and may stay in an area longer. If one of these populations were removed because of nuisance activity, he says, the area would likely be free of beavers for a while. But if the population were more promiscuous, new beavers could move into the area at any time; communities would need to develop a long-term animal removal plan.
Hats off to Dr. Busher. Even I wouldn’t have the cajones to make a threat like that. “If you kill these beavers the next ones you get might have more babies and reproduce even more!” Last I heard research was saying that our beavers were ‘opportunistic monogomists’ and Castor Fiber was loyal and true. Apparently, now he thinks it has to do with individual variables which is pretty fascinating.
All I can say is this gives me memories of Obi Wan.
Go read the entire article and think about our beavers who stayed in on place for 9 years and appeared pretty loyal. We had the unique remarriage after mom died and I wouldn’t say the birth rate changed much with a new partner. 4,4,0,3,1,3,1,4. But what do I know. I never tagged beavers. I just watched them.
Now wish me positive vibes because I’m off for my very last day. Tomorrow we are moving out of the office and I’ll be a retired child psychologist. I’ll be donating my toy collection to the agency where I completed my post doc and the next four days have all the tightly planned synchronized moves of a beaver festival. I’m bracing myself for the personal and clinical chaos that may ensue in the new year. But I’m trusting that I will still find many meaningful ways to contribute!
