A fish-minded friend posted a great image on facebook yesterday and I thought it just needed a little tweaking. I couldn’t resist for obvious reasons. What do you think now?
Month: December 2018
Merry C
hristmas everyone! I hope you have a splendid day of celebration with friends and loved ones. I wish you cheer that’s not full of glitter and sparkle, but brimming with hygge so that your spirits are warmed, replenished and ready to meet the new year. It will be a bright year for beavers, I am sure, but one in which much will be asked of the brave souls who defend them!
I wrote this more than a decade ago and I still it still makes me smile. Click the video if you want to sing round the terminal with your family.
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me
A Dam in Alham-b-ra Creek
On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Two adult beavers and A Dam in Alham-b-ra Creek
On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Three watching women<
Two adult beavers and
A Dam in Alham-b-ra Creek
On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Four furry kits
Three watching women
Two adult beavers and
A Dam in Alham-b-ra Creek
On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Five City Council!
Four furry kits
Three watching women
Two adult beavers and
A Dam in Alham-b-ra Creek
On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Six baby ducklings
Five City Council!
Four furry kits
Three watching women
Two adult beavers and
A Dam in Alham-b-ra Creek
On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Seven on committee
Six baby ducklings
Five City Council!
Four furry kits
Three watching women
Two adult beavers and
A Dam in Alham-b-ra Creek
On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Eight eager muskrats
Seven on committee
Six baby ducklings
Five City Council!
Four furry kits
Three watching women
Two adult beavers and
A Dam in Alham-b-ra Creek
On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Nine children laughing
Eight eager muskrats
Seven on committee
Six baby ducklings
Five City Council!
Four furry kits
Three watching women
Two adult beavers and
A Dam in Alham-b-ra Creek
On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Ten news reporters
Nine children laughing
Eight eager muskrats
Seven on committee
Six baby ducklings
Five City Council!
Four furry kits
Three watching women
Two adult beavers and
A Dam in Alham-b-ra Creek
On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Eleven cameras snapping
Ten news reporters
Nine children laughing
Eight eager muskrats
Seven on committee
Six baby ducklings
Five City Council!
Four furry kits
Three watching women
Two adult beavers and
A Dam in Alham-b-ra Creek
On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me
Twelve hatching turtles
Eleven cameras snapping
Ten news reporters
Nine children laughing
Eight eager muskrats
Seven on committee
Six baby ducklings
Five City Council!
Four furry kits
Three watching women
Two adult beavers and
A Dam in Alham-b-ra Creek
Ahh those were the days, so early on and so much to learn! There’s even a nutria photo in this video made a few months later – that’s young we all were once upon a time…
This is my new favorite beaver christmas card for obvious reasons.
You slog through day to day getting a little argument here a little victory there. Someone saves a beaver. Someone tried to save a beaver. Someone talks about beaver benefits in the news. But nothing prepares you for something like this. A day when everything you were hoping for finally frickin happens without any warning at all.
CDFW Awards $4.2 Million for Greenhouse Gas Reduction Grant Projects
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) [recently] announced the selection of three projects to restore wetlands that sequester greenhouse gases (GHGs) and provide other ecological co-benefits.
The awards, totaling $4.2 million, were made under CDFW’s 2017 Wetlands Restoration for Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program Proposal Solicitation Notice.
The Wetlands Restoration for Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program focuses on projects with measurable objectives that will lead to GHG reductions in wetlands and watersheds while providing co-benefits such as enhancing fish and wildlife habitat, protecting and improving water quality and quantity, and helping California adapt to climate change. Wetlands have high carbon sequestration rates that can store carbon for decades
So CDFW saves up all the money they get from fishing licenses hunting violations and they award some grants to worthy projects this year to fight global warming because they happen to live in the real world. The grant went to three stellar projects statewide but guess what the third one was? Go ahead, GUESS!
Ecosystem and Community Resiliency in the Sierra Nevada: Restoration of the Clover Valley Ranch ($680,974 to The Sierra Fund). The overarching goal of this project is to improve climate resilience at the ecosystem and community level in Red Clover Valley. Ecosystem resiliency is defined as the reestablishment of hydrologic function and mesic vegetation, while community resiliency is defined as long-term engagement and capacity building of residents of the region, including the Mountain Maidu Tribe. This project leverages Natural Resources Conservation Service implementation including construction of grade control structures, beaver dam analogues and revegetation, and proposes to evaluate the effectiveness of restoration for improving climate resilience. The on-the-ground activities will result in GHG sequestration benefits and environmental and economic co-benefits for people and species of the region, while monitoring will ensure that benefits are quantified, contributing to climate-based understanding of Sierra Nevada meadows.
Do you know what this means? Not ONLY is CDFW officially admitting the beaver dams trap green house gasses and restore wetlands, but they are ALSO admitting that beavers are NATIVE in the SIERRAS. Which means our papers worked and that battle is officially won.
It’s actually IN the valley where the carbon testing that launched the study was originally done!!!
The 2,655-acre Clover Valley Ranch is located in Red Clover Valley, at the headwaters of the Feather River watershed in Plumas County. The site has a distinctive history as a rural ranching community that pre-dates World War I. Prior to the 19th century Gold Rush, the area was inhabited by the Mountain Maidu. Since the displacement of the Mountain Maidu from the valley, overgrazing and poor land management has led to severe degradation.
I always knew it would happen. Someday. Somehow. I just thought there’d be a parade of some kind. I’m so glad I got to be part of the team that made that paper a reality.
On a happy happy day like today I can add just one thing. Hey CDFW, do you know what else makes Beaver Dam Analogues and takes care of them day and night with zero grant monies whatsoever?
BEAVERS.
Beavers have made it into the news lately in three countries but their public approval is mixed. Some folk have decided to work with them, some are ready to do away with them, and some are dragging their heels about legislation to protect them.
Meaning Christmas eve-eve is pretty much like any other Sunday as far as beavers are concerned.
A live-and-let-live compromise for land-flooding beavers
The Aamjiwnaang First Nation and neighbouring Suncor Energy think they’ve found an agreeable solution to one big dam problem.
Beavers moved into the area in 2011 and built dams on forested lands that caused flooding and even impacted operations at the refinery’s East Tank Farm.
“This was causing a lot of damage to trees in the area as well as safety issues for our community members” said Jessica Pickett, Aamjiwnaang’s lands manager.
“And the flooding caused infrastructure concerns.”
The Aamjiwnaang is the current name of the Objibwe located above Ohio between lakes Heron and Eerie. Who do you suppose they went to for help with their beaver problem?
“This was causing a lot of damage to trees in the area as well as safety issues for our community members” said Jessica Pickett, Aamjiwnaang’s lands manager. “And the flooding caused infrastructure concerns.”
A species-at-risk technician with the band suggested building dam bypasses, and corrugated pipe made of heavy plastic was installed beneath the dams, allowing some water to flow through the area without disturbing the beavers. So far so good, Pickett said.
“It was nice to see everyone sitting down, working together and listening to each other,” she said. “By drawing on the expertise of everyone and valuing each other’s contributions, we were able to address an issue of mutual concern.”
Whoever it was seems to have had the right idea. Good for them. Now the beavers can stick around and bring more birds fish and wildlife to that forest floor. Nicely done, team Aamjiwnaang .
Nothing like those flailing losers at the county airport a few states over in Wisconsin.
County Airport dealing with ongoing beaver problem
BURNETT COUNTY–– “It’s been frustrating, so we had to bring in a guy to come in and do some beaver trapping,” Airport Manager Chuck Shultz told the infrastructure committee last week. “It’s a private trapper that the DNR in Grantsburg suggested.”
Mike Rod, of Falun, is an independent trapper and has been helping trap the beavers in Siren since July. He is often the recommended trapper in the County.
“This is a pretty common thing for Burnett County,” Rod said. “It’s hard to tell how many are left out there.”
You know that old saying. “If at first you don’t succeed. trap, trap again.”
Rod explained that the beavers live in a 30-40 acre area surrounding the airport. In that area, they have built five different dams.
Shultz said the dams create giant pools of water at the airport and the nuisance beavers are the main concern.
“We’ve trapped four beavers so far,” Rod recalled. “And we’ll take down those dams in the spring.”
Shultz explained that the beavers have been creating dams in the area surrounding the airfield and not where the committee thought they were doing damage near Old 35.
“They were even going in and out of a culvert we got out there,” Shultz said. “We put up a crusher screen to block the entry off.”
You’re kidding! Beavers going into a culvert? That almost never always happens! I’m so sorry your thick airport heads had to deal with this trying furry problem.
Sheesh.
A final beaver outrage comes from our friends in Scotland, who are still waiting for protection for the free beavers of the Tayside.
Legislation to protect beavers delayed as Tay colonies face ‘persecution’
The Scottish Government has still not introduced legislation to protect beavers despite revealing it would do so more than two years ago. A Green MSP said the animals are being killed in a free-for-all while ministers stall on the issue.
The Tayside population of the Eurasian species emerged from private owners illegally releasing them into the wild – and have caused problems for farmers.
Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham announced in November 2016 that the semiaquatic rodents would get legal protection. A year ago she said legislation would be brought forward in the first half of 2018. The Scottish Government now says it will be done next year.
Mark Ruskell, the Scottish Green MSP, said: “It’s disappointing that a year on from the promise of legislation we’re still waiting.
It’s a long road to freedom that’s for sure. Not just for beavers, by the way.
“This vacuum has allowed persecution to continue, with animals still being shot.
“Bringing beavers back from extinction is making a huge contribution to restoring Scotland’s wetland habitats, boosting biodiversity while helping natural flood management.
“Giving this iconic species the proper protection it deserves would show that the Scottish Government aren’t just paying lip service to issues of animal welfare.”
Separate to the Tay colonies, beavers were released in Argyll in 2009 in an official trial.
The government announced in 2016 that both populations could remain.
Of course farmer’s are still complaining that they’re building dams that cost them thousand of dollars to remove. And you know how everyone is scared to upset the farmers. This could take a while to sort out.
No easy walk to freedom.
So this morning Judy Atkinson posted this book on my facebook page saying her neighbor found it in a local bookstore. I stared at the author’s name and thought,gosh that looks familiar.
Then I realized that it’s the woman who wrote the historical anecdote book on beavers with the nutria on the cover. She and I were on Colin McEnroe’s radio show that aired in Connecticut once and she sent me a copy. It also features the martinez beaver story and the wonderful child drawing by Gianni of mom’s tail.
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