We’ve all noticed fire season getting longer and fires themselves getting hotter. Last summer after the publication of Ben’s book I was contacted by a smart observer who wanted to incorporate beavers into brush management for fire protection. I thought this was very, very interesting and was even more pleased to see the website that person has launched.
I would gladly credit the source and introduce you but I’ve been asked not to, so I’ll just show you the considerable feat they managed to do.
The smart website summarizes beaver ecology, cleverly outlines the major myths associated with them, and walks through the native practice of using controlled burns to manage brush, which we settlers obviously forgot. Go spend some time browsing because there’s lots of information to glean.
The website also does a great job explaining the misunderstanding about beaver nativity that is unique to california. Excellent graphics are provided to make the information easy to understand. Here’s one outlining our research on beaver nativity.
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The website also includes links to visual materials, including the PBS film, and Greg Kerekes Gold Beaver documentary. It also folks to our story pretty nicely. About this website it says:
a blog by Heidi Perryman
There is no more active publication on the web than this blog authored by beaver researcher and advocate Heidi Perryman who was so instrumental in protecting the beaver family who arrived more than ten years ago in Martinez, California. Ms. Perryman continuously publishes every tidbit she can find about beavers and related ecological topics. Wonderful photos of the Martinez beavers, and memorable, ongoing news.
Well, that’s plenty humbling. Thanks for the shout out! Although it is true I would like to think that this website is much more than a blog about beavers and I always get a cramp when I’m called Ms, Perryman but I’m very demanding. I am very appreciative that the message is getting shared so effectively and there’s a new beaver resource on the block.
I especially like the last page that talks about “What you can do to help” and encourages readers to politely demand changes to California policy. Who knows if people are less scared of beavers than they are of fires, but it’s surely with a shot. I’m sure we can all enjoy this:
The Vision of Abundance
Just a few human generations ago, California was a much wetter place and it teemed with life of all kinds. Today, you know of the California Quail – the state bird – and have, perhaps, seen a covey of a dozen of these beautiful fowls. Not long ago, a single covey could contain a thousand members. You may never have seen a Pronghorn Antelope, but, until quite recently, their great herds covered the Central Valley, in the company of countless Black-Tailed Deer and Tule Elk. Try to imagine your hearing filled with birdsong, from the call of the nuthatch to the chortle of the turkey. Likely you’ve noticed the recent fad for eating chia seeds; now imagine millions of acres of colorful flowers being pollinated by numberless native bees and filled with delicious seeds for human harvesting. This is how it was.
Envision a beaver family in every stream, the rivers filled shore-to-shore with salmon, the marshes filled with ducks and geese. See forests with cleared sight lines from end to end and oak lands filling baskets to overflowing with acorn flour. There is plenty of water for drinking, bathing, gardening. There is water everywhere, breaking up the paths of fire and sustaining all life. There are people at work across the land, tending fire, harvesting food, drinking water, eating together. It can be this way again.
It’s said that people must share a vision to bring about social change for the better. As you devote time to the healing of California, drawing from the vision of the recent past of just how abundant life was here may help you keep going, even in times of discouragement. Carrying that vision of a beautiful, safe home with you in all of your work may give you the food you need for the journey
Welcome to the neighborhood, I’ll add your great website to the resource links today!
