Month: May 2023

THE MYSTERIOUS HABITAT CREATORS

heidi08 Beavers May 31, 2023

As a long time lover of all things Nancy Drew this headline made me chortle today. I thought you’d enjoy it too. Obviously the author has watched way too many TV specials that try to “Unlock secrets” of old Gold Rush towns or missing hot springs or what have you.

Uncovering the Mysteries of Beaver Dam Building

The Surprising Science Behind Why Beavers Make Dams

Scientists have long been fascinated by the behavior of beavers and their capacity to change entire ecosystems. Below are some of the key scientific insights behind why beavers make dams:

Introduction of the Scientific Hypothesis on Why Do Beavers Build Dams

The leading scientific hypothesis on why beavers build dams involves their desire to create a habitat. Beavers choose to build dams in an area where they can create enough water to form a pond. This, in turn, creates habitat for food sources like fish and amphibians.

Beavers as habitat designers! Makes perfect sense. They want to increase their frog collections! “Bob, let’s add a little more dirt over here and maybe we’ll get some turtles! I totally want to be in ‘habitat designers weekly” this month!”

The idea that beavers build dams to make better habitat for animals they do not need or eat is hilarious. But why on earth would you refer to it as a scientific hypothesis? It seems more like religion than science? The beaver pond as Noah’s ark, gathering two of every species!

Description of Key Evidences Used to Support This Hypothesis

The scientific hypothesis is supported by several lines of evidence. For example, research has shown that beavers are more likely to build dams when resources such as food or building materials are scarce. Additionally, beavers have been shown to prefer building dams in areas where the water flows sufficiently, but not too fast.

Gobsmacked. That’s the only word to describe my take on your inference. Totally Bewildered and Gobsmacked.

Why would you go from the simple observation that beavers build more dams when there’s more building material to saying that beavers do this because they want to create habitat for other animals? It’s like saying that children build more walls when there’s more legos so that must mean they are Trump supporters.

That’s so weird.

Finally they get there.

How Beaver Dams Contribute to Their Survival

Beaver dams contribute to the survival of beavers by providing a habitat for their food sources and by serving as a way to protect themselves against predators. By creating a pond, beavers create a “moat” around their lodge, making it harder for predators like wolves and coyotes to reach them.

Now was that really so hard? Why on earth did you call that a mystery? It’s like the mystery of why snails stay inside their shells or why baby birds sleep in the nest.

It’s only a mystery to the deeply stupid.

Conclusion

Beaver dams may seem simple constructions, but they have a profound effect on natural environments and the species that inhabit them. By understanding why and how beavers build dams, we can appreciate the role they play in regulating water flow, promoting biodiversity, and contributing to the survival of different species. Readers can take action by promoting environmentally sustainable practices that help preserve wetland ecosystems and support the health of our natural world.

Well okay, the baffling article actually does a lot to describe the benefits of beaver dams which I enjoyed. I’m not sure why they needed the OJ’s “mystery” angle to attract readers.

THE COUNT DOWN BEGINS…

heidi08 Beavers May 30, 2023

There will be a Beaver Festival in 25 days. Can you even imagine that? Nope, me neither. It’s still June so I am wrapped in the protective bubble of having all the time in the world. Not hardly. Not anymore.

During my time in (un)skilled nursing I had this dim feeling that everything was still possible. That by the time in the distant future I was discharged and it was June the broken foot would be a distant memory.. I would be OVER it and everything would be back to normal.

Ha Ha Ha.

First out-patient physical therapy today and my greatest triumph yesterday was realizing that beavers could be adapted to my newly impaired life.

What do you think?

THINK OF BDAs AS “DAMBASSADORS”

heidi08 Beaver Art, Beavers May 29, 2023

Every so often we receive a donation for the silent auction from a truly talented artist that conceptualizes beavers in an entirely dramatic way. We are fortunate when it happens and I will never stop being grateful that our story touches the generosity of talented folks from around the world that agree to share their gifts with us.

This year the artist is Tim Andranka of New Kingstown Rhode Island. I was drawn towards his work when I saw a remarkable illustration called “the Calvary”. I wrote asking if he might consider donating a print but Tim said he had none left to share Instead he mentioned he was working on a new piece that might interest me.

Instead of donating a print Tim gave the original pen and ink drawing which is beyond stunning. Our own Martinez’ talented “I‘ve been framed” shop owner Rick Holcomb was so inspired by the work he framed it in a truly dramatic way. The finished piece is breathtaking.

Not the least of which because of its highly enviable title: Dambassador.

Since the piece is lovingly wrapped for safety I’m not sure you can see that the wood frame itself is marked with stunning divets that echo the mechanical surreal flare Tim displays so well.

I love his highly believable impossibilities. But to me this beautiful drawing is not surreal at all. It’s a perfectly symbolic representation of Beaver Dam Analogues, which are poor imitations of beaver dams that only offer a fraction of the service of the real thing. The name “Dambassadors” perfectly suggest the fact that BDAs often get a better reception and audience than the real thing, convincing people to try out the pretend effort that isn’t at all as valuable as authentic beavers.

Maybe they Damabassador at first and Rebeaver second?

Thank you Tim, for your kindness. And for the art investors among us I have no doubt Tim will be way more famous in five months and that this auction item will be a firm investment.

In the mean time I am simply horrorfied and ashamed that I never ever came up with that title myself.

BEAVER FEST IN MINNESOTA?

heidi08 Beavers May 28, 2023

Two weeks ago I bet you didn’t know something seismic happened for the very first time.

A while back I had been contacted by student Jonah Docter-Loebat student at Carleton college in Minnesosota majoring in Environmental studies. He was writing a paper about cohabitation with beaver and wondered if we could talk. That turned into a discussion about the Martinez beaver story which turned into a discussion about the beaver festival which turned into this.

This event is being organized as part of an independent study into the ethics of beaver management advised by Benedict Distinguished Visiting Professor of Environmental Studies Professor Dr. Colleen Carpenter. If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or ideas for this event, please contact at docterloebj@carleton.edu

In a state that has never had a festival before in a college that was trapping beaver the semester before, Jonah really out did himself. Not only did his event draw some 300 people it laid the foundation for a second event to follow next year.

Because Dr Emily Fairfax is leaving Cal Channel islands this summer and moving to near by University of Minnesota in the department of geography, Environment and Society this fall I thought maybe they should connect, and introduced them. Jonah boldly gave her a call and was thrilled to learn that and could speak at the event.

The rest, as they say, is history. History and very hard work on Jonah’s part. Here’s a link to the website he made for the event and the article he wrote for the Carleton newspaper.

Damned if we do, dammed if we don’t: Beaver Trapping in Lyman Lakes

By Jonah Docter-Loeb on May 12, 2023

When I found out Carleton was trying to kill beavers living in Lyman Lakes, I knew I needed to save them at all costs. So, I shimmied out onto the thin ice and shook the submerged traps until I heard them snap shut with a loud clack. Carefully, I crawled back to shore, examined my work and beamed with pride; having just saved the lives of three innocent beavers.

Then I got to know the guy who set the traps — Mike Smith — and my convictions were complicated.

I first met Mike the night before I sabotaged his traps. Late one night in Winter Term, my friend and I were walking across the lakes enjoying a blizzard when we spotted him drilling holes into the ice. Standing out in the blistering snow, we struck up a conversation.

He introduced himself as Mike, a twenty-eight-year-old Northfield native who manages a truck shop by day and traps nuisance beavers by night. He told us that Carleton called him in to get rid of the beavers after they started causing damage.

As someone who loves watching the beavers of Lyman Lakes, I was in disbelief as to why Carleton wanted to kill these remarkable rodents.

Shortly after sabotaging his traps, I received an email from Mike kindly inviting me to check the traps with him that evening. I immediately panicked and prayed he wouldn’t be able to figure out someone messed with them. I agreed to check the traps anyway, and hoped that I could write about this experience for the final project in my environmental ethics class.

The more he spoke, the more uncertain I became. Faced with beavers that were seen as a threat to student safety, Mike noted that lethal trapping was the only option since moving live beavers is illegal in Minnesota.

There’s a big difference between who I was striving to be when Martinez was saving the beaver and who I am now. Back then I didn’t know where this could be done and tried to listen to everyone. (Or at least give the give the appearance of listening to everyone.) I was desperate for the beavers to live but tried to be fair to all points of view. I did back flips to take all perspectives into account. Even though I was convinced it was possible I was constantly worried about seeming too strident and determined.

Now, today, 15 long years later, we can officially say that particular cat’s out of the bag. I’m a beaver advocate. I’m done being fair to trappers and trying to see things from the city’s point of view. Jonah can’t afford be. And he’s doing an amazing job. Sounds like Mike the trapper was a fairly good sport about the whole thing,

Still unsure of what to make of beaver trapping, I decided to dive deeper and enrolled in an independent study on the ethics of beaver management this term. I was intent on figuring out what compelled Carleton to murder the mammals living closer to the heart of campus than students living in Goodhue.

I met with the two people who made the decision to kill the beavers of Lyman Lakes: arboretum head Nancy Braker ‘81 and grounds manager Jay Stadler. After talking with them, I learned that these very kind and hardworking community members had to make a hard decision to solve a hard problem.

Beavers use trees as food and shelter, so it is no surprise that they started munching on the ones around Lyman. Using their teeth reinforced with iron, the Lyman beavers took down more than just a few saplings around the lakes. They started chomping on bigger trees, taking down some over thirty inches across. Most students probably didn’t notice the loss of these trees, in part because the grounds crew quickly removed them since huge trees with toothpicks for trunks posed a safety risk to students.

In years past, arboretum staff have been forced to wade into the muck of Spring Creek to clear the creations of Lyman’s resident engineers. Without this work, the man-made Bell Field would flood and the Goodhue-Evans bridge could be seriously damaged. Yet despite the staff’s long hours and best efforts, the nocturnal beavers had already rebuilt by the next morning.

Faced with no other feasible options, Nancy and Jay reluctantly decided to resort to trapping. They spoke with the local game warden who told them to call up Mike.

I’ve spent the past four months obsessed with the beavers. Even after talking with all the parties involved — including some one-sided conversations with the Lyman beavers themselves — I still don’t know what Carleton should do.

What I do know is that beavers are special. Just as Carleton converted farmland into prairie ecosystems, beavers shape the landscape around them to suit their needs. Faced with land-based predators, beavers evolved to build ponds, partially to access and irrigate more trees without straying too far from an aquatic escape route. In doing so, they’ve left their mark on the landscape and species of North America in ways we are only beginning to understand.

You see of course why Jonah and I hit it off. And why his first courageous steps resonate so deeply with me.

That’s why I’ve organized Beaver Fest — an event this Saturday from 1:30-4:00 p.m. on Mai Fête Island to bring together the Northfield community and have some of these difficult conversations. Beyond beaver games, donuts in the shape of beaver tails and beaver naming, we’ll also have a service project and educational booths.

Join us as we wrap trees around Lyman Lakes with metal wiring to protect them from future beaver damage. Carleton alumnus Dr. Emily Fairfax will be there to discuss her amazing research on how beavers can help fight climate change. And if you want to meet Mike and hear about responsible beaver harvesting, he’ll be there too.

Everyone is welcome — just come with an open mind.

Hopefully, by the time the trapping season resumes in October, the Carleton community will have begun the “dam” hard task of finding a nuanced solution to this nuanced problem.

What a great article. Jonah your beaver journey may have been difficult and complicated but believe me when I say that you are not alone. Beavers are absorbing. They soak up every bit of space your life and attention can lend them. They are passion sponges. Nothing else in your life will ever be quite the same.

Don’t accuse me of being hyperbolic. But Jonah, I believe you have been swallowed by a whale.

MORE GOOD BEAVER NEWS IN TENNESSEE?

heidi08 Attitudes towards beavers, Beaver Grooming May 27, 2023

Yet another surprise to come out of the Volunteer state, this one in the form of sand painting. They seem to be towards the end of a game of ‘telephone’ – remember that elementary game where you sat in a circle and whispered into the ear of the child next to you so that one by one the message made it’s way around the room? By the time it gets to the end of the line it’s a little tangled up.

But at least they get it. And that’s huge.

How Painted Trees Are Saving The Lives Of Beavers In America

Trees in Tennessee’s Chattanooga city are being painted with non-toxic paint in a bid to prevent unnecessary beaver deaths in the US.

The bottom of the trunks are being painted in bright colors. The move came about after the city’s Parks and Outdoors department consulted the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). The latter provided advice for a non-lethal solution to the problem of beavers destroying riverfront trees to make dams.

Despite being a natural activity for the species, beavers’ chewing can leave tree trunks significantly weakened. Specifically, in Chattanooga, trees have the potential to fall into a nearby children’s playground or across a pedestrian footpath.

Never mind about the BRIGHT colors, or the fact that this NEW technique has been around a decade before Martinez tried it more than a decade ago. Never mind that we found it lasts no more than 5 years and needs to be reapplied when the tree grows. They are taking steps towards coexistence, and that’s something.

Chattanooga’s Parks and Outdoors department claims to have tried a number of preventative tactics before turning to painted tree trunks. These included protective fences – which the beavers climbed – and dousing trunks in hot sauce, which washed off in the rain.

So far, the most successful approach has been the use of non-toxic latex paint mixed with water and sand. The sand acts as an irritant to the beavers’ sensitive teeth, causing them to go looking for wood elsewhere. It is noted that painted trees have displayed light bite marks but nothing more, leading to assumptions that the painting technique is working.

This year is the first that officials have noted repeated beaver activity. According to Brian Smith, the Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors communications and marketing director, it is unclear where the beavers are taking their wood hauls. However, when they source wood that does not pose a threat to human health, they are largely left alone. And, considered a vital part of the region’s biodiversity.

Of course they do supplement with a lot of aquatic plants and grasses especially as the season gets greener. Your trees will be more endangered in the dead of winter when there’s nothing else to choose.

HSUS states that beavers are not the only animals killed to “manage” human-wildlife conflicts in the US. It highlights that many species labeled as nuisances are also “culled,” instead of encouraged to carry out their natural activities away from human populations.

Raccoons, skunks, chipmunks, and even bears are specifically named by HSUS as species threatened by such extreme measures. The nonprofit subsequently calls for a change in tack, as killing animals “only addresses the symptom of the problem, not the cause.” As such, the issue is likely to recur.

The Wild Neighbors program sees HSUS working with local agencies across the US. These include animal shelters, law enforcement, wildlife agencies, and more. In total more than 630 are signed up to the initiative that produces and promotes educational resources about how humans and non-human animals can coexist, without choosing lethal action.

HSUS reports that since 2020, it has trained more than 7,000 animal care and control experts to use non-lethal resolution techniques when dealing with wildlife.

The Humane Society came to the Martinez Beaver meeting long ago. Just remember that before there was Worth A Dam or the Beaver Brigade or the Beaver project or Beavers Northwest, there was HSUS. In fact it was John Hadidian at the HSUS that paid for Skip Lisle to come do a class on flow devices that inspired Mike Callahan in the first place back in the day.

There would beaver no beaver Institute at all if it weren’t for the Humane Society. Think about that.

Just so you know, though, bright colors don’t work “Better” and ask someone how to secure wire wrap because it lasts a lot longer when its done correctly.