MARTINEZ BEAVERS AND WYOMING UNTRAPPED

heidi08 Beavers March 17, 2022

When ever I review a new film by Wyoming Untrapped my first reaction is always protective distress to see them use photos of “Our” beavers. Did they get those off the website? I start to orotest until I remember that Suzi Eszterhas took that photo and she allows WT to use her images free of charge.

Plus it’s a good movie about why we need beavers. And there are never enough of those.

Untrapped Tuesday presents Eco-hero #1: the American Beaver

Did you know that American Beavers are often referred to as ecosystem engineers? Long before humans thought to build the Hoover Dam, American Beavers built and altered landscapes across Wyoming. Beavers are phenomenal engineers, enriching the health of Wyoming’s ecosystems by creating and maintaining wetland habitats. (more…)

ECOSYSTEM DISSERVICES

There is an old joke about a man discovering his wife bent over searching hard for something on the kitchen floor.

“What are you looking for?” He asks.
“My Contact lenses! They fell out while I was reading on the couch and I cannot seem to find them.”
“On the couch? In the living room? Then why are you looking for them in here?” Asks her husband, very confused.
“The light’s better in here.”

Which happens to be one of my favorite jokes because it explains so much of what we do. Why we went to war in Iraq even though we were attacked by Afghanistan. Why we are upset when movie stars do annoying things that our friends do every day. And why we keep suing Wildlife Services instead of slamming CDFW for issuing mass depredation permits to everyone and their brother, whether they work for Wildlife Services or not. (more…)

MARTINEZ BEAVERS ON KPFA

heidi08 Attitudes towards beavers, Beaver Book, Beaver ecological impact March 15, 2022

How much fun to be Ben Goldfarb and slowly weave through all the audiences that are finally getting around to reading his book and wanting to talk about it. This groovy interview with Caroline Casey on KPFA brightens its way into lots of dark corners, Here is the description of the podcast:

The Visionary Activist

Dedicated to “anything we need to know to have a democracy”: Democratic Animism, Pragmatic Mysticism, Applied Divination, Renaissance of Reverent Ingenuity. Hosted by Caroline Casey. Her guests are allies contributing to a culture of reverent ingenuity. Critique and Solution.

That pretty much sums up what you need to know about her interviewing style, Except for the lovely fact that she referred to me as “Heidi Pennyman” which I guess is a kind of variation on Henny Penny the lovely children’s story who says that the beaver skies are falling…

There’s a nice long section on Martinez 10 minutes in so listen to that if nothing else! Enjoy!

(more…)

NORTH CAROLINA SPEAKS UP FOR BEAVERS

heidi08 Attitudes towards beavers, Urban beavers, Who's defending beavers now? March 14, 2022

I knew it would happen. I just knew if I worked and worked and waited and waited and advertised for beavers over and over again someday we’d see a beaver-believing article from Charlotte North Carolina. I knew it would happen. I just didn’t know it would happen last night.

South Charlotte Residents Upset With How Beaver Colony Is Being Handled

CHARLOTTE, NC – A group of residents in the Thornhill neighborhood in South Charlotte say the home owners association trapped and killed a family of beavers without seeking humane solutions.

The pond through the neighborhood is a central point of the Thornhill community. It’s where kids can play and people can walk. For the last several months; it’s also been home to a family of beavers.

“They do things for us. They clear the water. They reduce sediment,” said Angela Hynum. Hynum is a Thornhill resident and wildlife advocate. (more…)