Happy Earth day! Here’s a funny joke, Leslie is very sick and won’t be coming, and I am locked out of the website because my IP has been compromised, You apparently can still access it, but I can’t!
Isn’t that hilarious?
While we try to stumble through the day, here’s a great listen. Sherri Tippie and beavers!
Also, if you get bored dying eggs today, COME HELP!
Maybe the release of the Mueller report is swallowing up all the space usually available for beavers, but this morning there are zero beaver stories on which to report. I like days like this because I can lazily browse the internet(s) and hunt for things worth writing about. Which allowed me to find this site.
“We have lots in store for you, whether you’d like to Listen to our radio programs or Learn from our editorial stories or Watch our videos. Encounters was created for explorers like you!”
Under the direction of this man. The site has lots of nice video and audio that you could spend hours exploring, but it was this page in particular of course that got my attention. This article was written by Liz McKenzie.
“There are two species of animals that profoundly changed the ecological face of North America before Europeans arrived: First, Native Americans with the controlled use of fire, and second, beavers with the controlled use of water.
In pre-colonial times, beavers were found over most of the North American continent. An essential fact of beaver behavior is that they dam streams to raise the water level and make ponds. These water catchments provide excellent habitat for fish and turtles, frogs and toads, ducks and geese…plus aquatic plants and other species. And by cutting trees, beavers create openings in the forest, which diversify habitat for a wide assortment of plants like willows and alders, and for wildlife such as moose, elk, and deer.”
Now what better sign can there be that you should grab your coffee cup and settle in for a nice read? I’m liking this very much already. This article appeared in 2017 so it is pre-Ben’s book even. Enjoy.
“Without the beavers to maintain dams, the barricades broke and decayed—and as a result literally millions of water catchments dried up. Ponds became meadows; meadows became forests or agricultural land.
This reversed the important work that beavers had done…greatly reducing the ecological richness and biodiversity on a continental scale. What was once a lacework of bogs, ponds, small openings in the forests, meadows and trees, had become something more uniform, no longer providing habitats for the many plants and animals it had once supported.”
I close my eyes sometimes and try to imagine what it was like – watching those streams dry up and the entire beaver pond become a ghost town. Aren’t you curious? Of course, I don’t think anyone really wrote about it at first, because we were still pretending our fur hunt didn’t make a difference and the bounty would go on forever. Sound familiar?
Ecologists have come to understand something that was probably well known among Native American people—how important beavers are for the enrichment and diversity of ecological communities. And in the dry western states, we have learned that beavers are also powerful conservators of water—by creating reservoirs, stabilizing water levels and preventing streambed erosion.
Imagine the potential benefits from millions of small ponds and wetlands that slow the runoff from periodic rains and store water that would otherwise quickly disappear. And all of this vitally important work being done by a full time volunteer force of beavers.
This goes on to describe the gradual return of the population and the conflicts that arise when beavers try to share our spaces. But it does a nice job describing the tools we have to resolve these conflicts. And why they’re worth using. Nice work, Liz!
I’m assuming the site is Canadian based on its references and find myself wanting to end by posting this:
The beaver news world yesterday was abuzz with reports of release of 2 beavers into an enclosed park in Yorkshire so that their effects on flooding and biodiversity can be studied. It’s a very calculated 5-year project that will be carefully researched. It’s a giant step forward for beavers, but I can’t help but feel a little cynical.
It’s like ‘letting cinderella’ work tirelessly for you for free and then checking to see how much she got accomplished!
Two beavers have been introduced into a Yorkshire forest in an effort to naturally manage water flows. The pair of Eurasian beavers will be monitored to see how they affect the landscape and whether their actions can help prevent flooding.
The five-year Forestry England project will check if the creatures maintain dams and boost biodiversity.The beavers, called “natural habitat engineers” by ecologists, will live in a large secured area.
Sure they’re “called” engineers. But just because someone calls you something doesn’t me you are that. My mom calls me good looking. What can these rodents actually DO for us?
During their time in Yorkshire, the beavers will be monitored in their 10-hectare enclosure to see how they interact with artificial dams in place in Cropton Forest on the North York Moors. Scientists say this project, which will see beavers eventually released in other locations, is the first time the effect the species has on artificial dams has been studied.
“We are looking forward to seeing the beavers settle into their new home and are very interested to watch how they impact on the water flow and surrounding ecology.”
Forestry England’s Alan Eves said: “Today’s landmark occasion sees the introduction of a cornerstone species that has been absent from our landscape for over 300 years.
They did NOT say that.
You got the quote wrong. Beavers aren’t a CORNERSTONE species. What does that even mean? There are no cornerstone species. Sheesh. I expect more from the BBC. Robert Paine is rolling in his grave right about now. In fact if you GOOGLE cornerstone species this very moment the only thing that comes up on the entire internet is this article and the phrase KEYSTONE species.
Which is what you meant. And what a good editor would have corrected if they were paying attention. Hrmph.
They were close enough right? There was some kind of STONE involved, and it had to do with architecture. Besides these rats have been extinct for 400 years. How are we supposed to know what kind of stone they are?
Keystone, cornerstone, beaver, nutria. It’s all the same thing, right?
I’d never even seen that newsreel before. English raising nutria on purpose! I guess that went very well. Especially when you realized their fur was worthless and they destroyed your farm. But if you watch further they talk about beaver release in Idaho, and not even in parachutes! People used to know better.
This video was posted yesterday by Breanna Angel of Vermont Wildlife Now. Turn your sound up an get ready for an adventure. because this should be where every hike ends up.
Thank you to Martinez Kiwanis who just let me know we get grant money this year for the festival! Hurray! Still waiting to hear from fish and wildlife, the community fund, and the city. Fingers crossed. I continue to believe that ALL the nicest people in Martinez are in Kiwanis, (and all the rest are in Rotary).
Also thank you to our brilliant artist Amy G. Hall who has been busy at work on the design she will create in chalk at this year’s beaver festival. It still needs a few tweaks before its shipshape and ready for prime-time, but here’s the basic idea.
To quote Ophelia, “O, how wheel becomes it!”
Here’s what she had to say about the design:
This is a love story from all the creatures great and small who thrive thanks to beaver’s hard work. It’s the wheel of life, that keeps on turnin’ thanks to beavers.
Yes it is, you wonderful and gifted creator, you. I for one CANNOT WAIT to see you create this in person. It’s crazy good luck that we ever got you to come even ONCE! Last year was so wonderful that I made myself swear to just thank her and not mention possibly joining us again for an entire MONTH after it was over and she had time to rest.
Three weeks after the festival Amy wrote anxiously, “Didn’t you like it? Don’t you want me back next year?” And I had to laugh and laugh, because obviously
YES and YES and that’s proof that there’s no use trying to be patient for things!
Thanks again for being willing to join us Amy and graciously donating two entire days of your life to sitting in the hot sun and letting us watch you work. , you were the very most magical part out of a totally vibrant day.
And now for an even MORE special treat. This was on the FB feed of Beavers: Wetlands & Wildlife last night and I just had to share. It is from all the way north in Montana – Lincoln county – and obviously represents the finest 10 minutes of police work we are ever likely to see.
Enjoy.
Isn’t that the very sweetest thing you ever did see? I imagine the vehicle is some big la enforcement SUV but that sure looks like a little beaver to be hauling that long tree. Remember it’s Montana and he just survived a of fasting so maybe he’s older than he looks to us flat landers?
At this time of year I have to think he’s doing some lodge repairs? Lincoln County is just over the border from Canada and this morning’s temperature is just above freezing? Maybe the food cache ran out? Whatever the cause of his risky behavior, I’m sure glad to see Montana’s finest helping him out.
When I lay dying, probably sooner than I’d like, surrounded by strangers and IV drips, I’m likely going to remember four important things: That I helped a few special children make a path through horrific pain, that I picked the right husband and was lucky he picked me, that I helped convince our city to let 27 kits be born in Alhambra Creek and that in my own tiny way I encouraged men and women across the continent to try this also.
Like Steve Straight in Connecticut who closed his comments to the South Windsor city council last night with these incredible remarks:
Instead of wasting more money and time killing beavers nearly every year going forward, I would like to suggest that we follow the expert’s recommendations. I call on the Town Council to stop any trapping of beavers now, and to work instead toward coexistence with the next beavers, and to let the citizens of South Windsor enjoy these fascinating creatures as they go about their work creating a tremendous ecosystem that harms no one.
Let’s be clear: The beavers are not going away. And by the way, neither am I.
Powerful, awesome last line, Steve. You are, without a doubt, the single best thing that will ever happen to beavers in South Windsor. You can’t imagine how much this matters, to the community, to the council, to the next hopeful person who will try to follow in your footsteps. I’m so grateful our paths crossed and that you were ready to take up the beaver gauntlet.
Great victory after great pain.
Meanwhile there are plenty other things to be proud of in our beaver hall of fame. Like the beaver ambassadors stellar work in their promotional video for friday night’s premier of Sarah Koenisberg’s film on beavers and climate change.
The teen group is organized and inspired by Esteban Murschel who has been hard at work for two years trying to build a community interest around beavers in West Linn Oregon. He drove down for our festival in 2015 and would have come last year but for the very timely birth of his first son!
Something tells me that this friday the performance auditorium is going to be packed.
Fantastic performance! It is so fun to see you celebrate beavers and use all these talents on their behalf. I especially love your matching ‘portland weather uniforms’ (rain jacket and jeans). You couldn’t have picked a better song.
Although I’m not sure I could have avoided tinkering with the lyrics a little.
A watershed, a watershed
A watershed, a watershed
A watershed, a watershed
A watershed, a watershed
In the river
the peaceful river
the beaver swims tonight
With the fishes
And frogs and heron
the beaver swims tonight
We-e-e-e we’re the engineers
We-e-e-e we’re the engineers
