I’ve learned to appreciate those special Sunday’s that arrive with good beaver press. Yesterday we were treated to a nice article in the Martinez News Gazette and the East Bay Times. Chalk it up to that media hound Ranger Rick, and our spotlight seeking beavers.

Around East County: Ranger Rick magazine to feature Martinez beavers

Children throughout the world will have their chance to learn about the locally ever-famous Martinez beavers in May as they make a splashy debut in the World  National Wildlife Federation’s children’s magazine, Ranger Rick.

In 2015 nationally famous wildlife photographer Suzi Eszterhas spent the summer in Martinez checking out the eager, busy beavers as they worked their way throughout Alhambra Creek in the downtown Martinez area. During her stay, Eszterhas was able to see how the local residents helped the beavers in the creek by planting willow trees, one of their favorite foods, and other ways the locals encouraged beavers to make the creek their home.

“We are really happy to have a chance to show other cities nationally ways to co-exist with beavers,” said Heidi Perryman, head of the organization Martinez Beavers: Worth A Dam.

In the article Perryman talks about how Martinez residents learned over the years that beavers have helped Alhambra Creek by attracting new kinds of wildlife and turning the creek into a nature preserve.

The article shares pictures of the local beavers, sites from the Alhambra Creek bridge, residents planting trees and even those showing off crafts at the annual Martinez Beaver Festival.

Speaking of the Beaver Festival, since the beavers in Martinez have moved a little upstream, the annual show will move as well this year, in location as well as date. The new date will be June 30, and the event will be at Susana Park in Martinez.

To check out a copy of Ranger Rick’s “Leave it to beaver” story, go to rangerrick.org/ranger_rick/leave-it-to-beavers. Or pick up a copy of the May Ranger Rick Magazine at local retailers.

Wow, thanks for an excellent article Roni Gelke. When the reporter contacted me I had that weird sensation you get when you run into your kindergarten teacher in the grocery store: something familiar but out of context. It turns out Roni used to be the lead on the Delta Science Center who often exhibited at the beaver festival. She said the DSC had stopped doing events as the volunteers got older. Then pointed out that she had heard about the Ranger Rick story because of her work on the Fish and Wildlife Subcommittee where she serves as a board member!

(That would be the CCCFW that gave us our grant again or the festival activities this year, thank you very much. Small, small world.)

After chatting with Roni I was contacted by Donna Beth Wilenman of the Martinez Gazette, who also wanted to talk about the Ranger Rick article. She is a careful reporter who always pays attention, but  I was surprised to find her story covered both the history of the beavers AND the history of Ranger Rick!

Martinez beaver story appearing in Wildlife Federation magazine

MARTINEZ, Calif. – When children across the country open their May copy of the National Wildlife Federation’s “Ranger Rick” magazine, they’ll learn about Martinez beavers.

Writer Hannah Schardt shared how towns once tried to keep beavers out of nearby rivers and streams, but now have decided to leave the animals alone, or go farther by welcoming them.

Martinez wasn’t the only city that became alarmed when beavers began building dams in waterways that could result in flooding of low-lying areas. Beavers cut trees, eat the leaves and twigs, then use branches to build the dams that block waterflow to form ponds where the aquatic rodents can live safely, Schardt wrote.

“Unfortunately, a beaver dam may cause the water to rise so high that it floods nearby streets,” she wrote. “So for many years, people tried to keep beavers out of their towns and away from their homes.”

That was the case about 11 years ago in Martinez, when a family of beavers built a dam in Alhambra Creek. That alarmed business owners who regularly hope that sandbags and other water blocks would prevent flooding inside their storefronts during winter rains. Some felt so strongly about the matter, they wanted the beavers removed or killed.

But not everyone agreed.

Heidi Perryman became the face of Worth a Dam, a grass-roots group that sought to protect the beavers. And the organization sought others who supported their viewpoint that beavers were integral parts of an aquatic ecosystem.

Fortunately, scientists had been researching the impacts of dams and had learned how they keep waterways healthy, Schardt’s article explains. Those beaver pools also become homes for fish, birds and other wildlife while filtering pollution out of the water.

Isn’t that a great way to read about the beavers? First promoting the city then promoting the beavers themselves? Honestly this article was much better than I expected.

This year, Perryman said during a recent Park, Recreation, Marina and Cultural Commission meeting, beavers have been spotted again in Alhambra Creek – near Susana Park. That inspired a change of venue to Susana Park, which also led to a change of date for the 11th annual Beaver Festival. It will take place June 30.

This year, festival goers will be able to see one of the two known beaver dams – one is visible from the Susana Street bridge. Another is near Martinez Junior High School.

This year’s festival will feature a noted Northern California chalk artist, Amy G. Hall, whose canvas will be the center of Susana Park. She will begin work on her chalk painting the day before the festival, and work on it throughout the event. Children and others will be welcome to make their own chalk drawings as well.

Like others who have come to love the Beaver Festival, Hall, too, has an affinity for beavers.

Hall’s design will be the picture children use to pick up stickers at various stations throughout the festival. Not only will they complete the picture, the experience will teach them about the importance of beavers to the overall environment

Perryman said the venue change will be good for the festival, which once again is the recipient of a Contra Costa Wildlife Committee grant.

Susana Park has trees for shade, water, electricity and restrooms, amenities the Beaver Park doesn’t have. Perryman said she had thought about changing the festival’s site. “When the beavers moved, that was a good sign,” she said.

The festival received mention in the Ranger Rick article.

Honestly, I hadn’t even started working on the press release for the festival yet. So this is all ‘icing on the cake’!

“The best thing article does? It’s a national magazine, so it’s in every single state and Canada, and there will be kids that read this,” Perryman said. They’ll learn that beavers can be tolerated in urban creeks and that communities can install devices that help the animals and people coexist. Back when Martinez did it, it had never been done,” she said. “Now everyone knows. That’s my greatest joy about it.”

A-a-a-nd scene! Very nicely done Donna Beth, a very interesting section follows on the history behind Ranger Rick magazine which you should go read. In the meantime I’m going to admit that I never tire about reading articles about the beavers that refer to me as “Perryman”. I feel like a general marching the troops into action.

Wait there’s MORE. How about our article in the Mt Diablo Audbon newsletter?

I know the calendar says it’s still April, but believe me when I tell you. It’s officially festival season now.