Just in case there were any doubts about mom being pregnant. . . Picture was quickly snapped as mom stood up to grab a light snack Tuesday evening.
Author: admin
A Letter to the Editor, orignially printed in the Martinez Gazette Tuesday, April 29th and reprinted here with the author’s consent:
The idea of Martinez having to decide to eliminate or remove any form of wildlife, put in the best light is confusing. One would guess this would baffle a majority of Martinez residents. The proof is on record in our city’s historic support of parks, open space and the Alhambra Creek itself.
Wildlife has played an important role in the history of Martinez in many ways. It has and continues to sustain human life and economies, both commercial and recreational, and continues to be part of our community fabric. A significant contribution to the Martinez quality of life is the presence of wildlife. Wildlife is sacred to many people who live in Martinez.
Coexisting is the only palatable option and is substantiated by the fact that we have solved almost all concerns, perceived or otherwise, flood risk being at the top of the list as in fact the dam washed out at one half the creek volume during a medium rain fall.
Another concern was water level and that has been put back to status quote e.g. tide level. Any concerns left can be solved as well at little expense, something akin to filling a pot hole or installing a fence.
Management of all wildlife should be the same, HANDS OFF. With maybe the exception of what the city has already done in terms of negating the flood risk by installing a breakaway system and lowering the dam.
The city should do some more flood mitigations as the creek has filled pre-beaver at the dam site and below. The flood plain above Marina Vista Bridge should be widened at the dam location and at an elevation above the dam to take advantage of flow volumes above high tide elevations. This can be characterized not as a beaver caused condition, but something the beaver have reminded us to do, monitor the creek.
The cost to keep the small band of friends is already offset by the benefits we have gained and there is more come!
EDUCATION
Management should be captured in this phrase:
These Particular Beavers In This Particular Creek At This Particular Time!
See Sierra Club letter in support of keeping the beavers. This can be viewed at www.martinezbeavers.org/wordpress
The main point is that most concerns attributed to the beaver were perceived and those that are not just perceived are easily addressed.
As for cost so far, they were generated first to justify eliminating the beaver including the initial flawed hydrology report presented before the beaver committee was formed. Other costs are exaggerated and means are available to cut costs in the future.
Julian Frazer
Today the story of our beavers will be featured by the Fox News Channel. The first story aired just before 11:00a.m pst today. An expanded version of the story along with interviews with Heidi Perryman, Rob Schroder and Dave Scola is scheduled to air during Brit Hume’s Special Report at 6:35est – that’s 3:35 beaver time here in Martinez. But just to be sure set that Tivo for 3:00-4:00.
Linda Meza
Gee just when I thought it was safe to get all sentimental sappy again – a little birdie drops a note in my box.
While fulfilling their civic duty and actually showing up for jury duty this little bird was handed a Main Street flyer highlighting local restaurants minus a few such as Louie Bertola’s.
Just for fun the birdie asked one of the jury clerks if maybe they could include a mention along with directions to the beaver dam since jurors can have up to a three hour break. Apparently this particular clerk was told they couldn’t mention the beavers.
Things that make you go hmm…
Linda Meza
In a television interview during the last news cycle surrounding the un-vote of April 16th, one subcommittee member likened the beavers to a child’s gift of fuzzy chicks, ducklings and bunnies during the Easter season. Initially cherished and loved but quickly discarded and ignored.
After spending many evenings meeting new people down by the lodge or dam I’ve discovered there are a variety of reasons why folks decide to while away an hour or two hoping to catch a glimpse of a beaver. For some maybe it starts off as a novelty, like a fuzzy yellow chick but then as they witness a cautious beaver approaching the dam sniffing the air for danger and crossing over to find food for the evening I’ve watched as novelty turns to kinship.
Last night I met a young couple and their three children hoping to catch a glimpse and after what looked like ‘big daddy’ (as he’s affectionately referred to) crossed over the dam the human dad said “well I guess we’re officially Martinez residents.” I met another family (actually three in all with small children) who came over from Oakland. The dad was a camera guy (video camera should have been my first clue) for a local news station just enjoying an evening out with his wife and son.
There are a myriad of reasons why folks come out – and maybe for some once their curiosity is satisfied they’ll never be back. All I can do is draw from my own experience as a single mom raising three children and express what going on our ‘nature walks’ has come to mean for us.
During the bitter cold of a winter spent in boot camp next to Lake Michigan, my son called to tell me that he’d caught a flash of red perched in a leafless tree and when his shipmates asked him what he was all agog over he exclaimed “look a cardinal!” Unfortunately his enthusiasm wasn’t shared, undaunted he explained “yeah well we don’t have them in California.”
And on her most recent deployment to the west coast of Africa my daughter shared that while on safari she managed to get up close and personal (to the chagrin of her guide) to a pregnant giraffe and stroked her.
As adults would they have had this same sense of wonder and appreciation were it not for those walks that sometimes elicited an “are we done yet?” maybe, but then again maybe not. Will the kids I saw out at the dam last night grow up to share that same wonderment and appreciation – I sure hope so. Is this relationship we feel towards our little band of beavers a fleeting fancy as previously expressed? Based on the people I’ve met and spoken with –no– it is perennial and deserving of protection.
Linda Meza
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