Category: Attitudes towards beavers

BLUEGRASS IS FOR BEAVERS

heidi08 Attitudes towards beavers April 13, 2025

It’s getting to be that wonderful time of year when donations to our silent auction start showing up in the mailbox in the afternoon. This was especially delightful and I knew you’d want to see it.

I approached Cait Irwin of IrwinArtworks and she was so moved by our story that she created this watercolor especially for us. She will sell copies as cards on her site but the original will be for sale at our silent auction and no where else in the world.

Thank you so much Cait. I believe you have just created a bluegrass bidding war at the beaver festival.

BEAVERS ARE SENDING THEIR BEST PEOPLE

Years ago, in eager younger days when almost all beaver news was bad. there were so many miserable reports about beavers that I was exhausted responding to them. I thought it might be more effective for a different voice to answer these articles instead of that tree-hugging white lady from California. I needed more cred. I dreamed up the character of a ruddy ex-trapper who had learned first hand why beavers matter. I even made up a name for him.

Buck Lanyard.

Buck was much more believable than Heidi, let me tell you. He explained about flow devices. Salmon. And drought. But he was never as good as this guy.

This letter is outstanding.

Bring beavers back (Opinion)

If you’ve walked along Tahoe’s various Creeks or fished the Truckee River, you’ve probably noticed how our waterways shift with the seasons—and maybe even how they’ve changed over the years. For me, these streams have always been more than just scenery. I grew up fishing them, studying them, and learning how their rhythms shape the landscape and everything that lives within it. That’s why I’ve become especially interested in one of the region’s not so famous natural allies: the North American beaver.

I’m paying attention. Aren’t you?

In the 1980s, beavers were nearly wiped out from the Tahoe Basin and the greater Truckee River Basin. At the time, they were seen mainly as a problem—causing flooding, damaging infrastructure, and blocking culverts. But as I’ve spent more time out in the field and more time with a fly rod in hand, I’ve come to realize how much we’ve lost by pushing them out.

As part of a field-based research project I studied the ecological impact of beavers in the Truckee Basin. I collected data on stream flow, water depth, temperature, vegetation, and species presence at sites with and without active beaver ponds. Drawing from methods used by researchers, I wanted to see what the data could tell us—and what it couldn’t. What I found reinforced what I’d already witnessed while fishing and exploring: beavers make ecosystems better

Oh I’m loving this letter. Who is this man? I’m thinking we need to meet and be friends.

Their dams slow the flow of water, trap sediment, and create deep pools that act as critical habitat for trout, especially in the summer when stream temperatures rise. These pools offer cooler, oxygen-rich refuge and abundant insect life—exactly the kind of environment wild trout need to thrive. I’ve seen firsthand how fish stack up in beaver ponds during the hottest months, finding shelter where otherwise the water would be too shallow or warm.

But it’s not just fish that benefit. Waterfowl like widgeon and mergansers often nest near beaver ponds, where thick vegetation and still water offer both food and protection. And beyond supporting wildlife, beavers also build natural firebreaks. By raising the water table and saturating nearby soils, they create wet zones that are far more resistant to wildfire, an ecosystem service that couldn’t be more timely in a region like ours.

This letter! It’s the best! I’m week in the knees and feel like I need a cigarette and I don’t even smoke. Is it hot in here?

What started as a fun side project quickly became something more personal. As an angler, a conservationist, and someone who’s spent most of his life in the Sierra, I came to see beavers not as pests but as partners—quiet, persistent builders who work for free and never ask for anything in return. They don’t burn fossil fuels, they don’t need concrete or engineering plans, and yet they outperform many of our most expensive restoration projects.

Of course, beaver restoration needs to be thoughtful. Infrastructure and private property must be protected. But there are modern tools—pond levelers, culvert protectors, and tree guards—that make coexistence not only possible, but practical. And perhaps most importantly, it’s a conversation the entire community should be part of. This isn’t just about one species—it’s about how we choose to live with nature, not against it.

Christopher Paganelli (Truckee)

Oh my goodness. I think that’s the very best letter I’ve ever read. And from TRUCKEE no less which is a pretty trap-happy region.

Thank you Chris

Happy International Beaver Day

A NEW BEAVER WORLD IN SQUAMISH BC

heidi08 Attitudes towards beavers, Beavers February 9, 2025

I’ve been feeling lately like we’re getting to be in a new world. That my old fashioned concerns about cities losing patience with beavers are quaint, like an old hippie in a Volkswagon bus complaining about “the man“. It’s a new age for beavers. A whole new age. And it’s might be time for people to start patting my head and saying condescendingly, “Okay beaver boomer we got things from here.”

Just check out THIS article. I was sure it was from Washington state at first. But Squamish is in British Columbia.

Dam good news: Why Squamish needs beavers

Have you spotted a beaver dam around Squamish?

At first, one might think, “Oh no, is that going to be a problem?” But actually, it’s pretty exciting.

While beavers sometimes get a bad reputation for disrupting urban spaces, experts say their presence is actually a great sign for the health of our local ecosystems.

Jennifer Rae Pierce, an expert in urban wildlife and biodiversity, has studied beaver populations and their role in city environments. In a recent conversation with The Squamish Chief, she explained how beavers are a keystone species, meaning their activities help sustain a rich, biodiverse ecosystem.

“They create environments that support a wide range of species and contribute to resilient ecosystems,” Pierce said. “Beavers help store water in the land, which is especially crucial for drought management. They also support fish populations and enhance water quality in many cases.”

Wait. What? An urban wildlife specialist that promotes beavers and isn’t me? An I dreaming? Who is this woman?

Jennifer is a political ecologist, urban planner, and urban biodiversity policy specialist with 18 years of experience with cities and nature. She is the co-founder of Urban Biodiversity Hub (UBHub)

Urban bioiversity Hub. I like the sound of that. Do you think she ever heard of Martinez?

Living with beavers

Of course, living alongside beavers isn’t always easy.

They cut down trees and flood certain areas, which is why some landowners want them removed. But according to Pierce, relocating them doesn’t really work.

“The habitat is what attracts beavers,” Pierce said.

“Even if you remove them, more will come unless the environment is changed. Also, beaver relocation is costly and difficult because finding suitable, unoccupied habitat is rare. Beavers are territorial and will struggle to establish themselves in a new place.”

So instead of removing them, Pierce recommended simple solutions like installing water flow devices (also called “beaver baffles”).

These help maintain controlled water levels without disrupting beaver habitats.

Worried about your favourite tree? There’s an easy fix.

“If people are concerned about trees being cut down, they can wrap wire mesh around them or use a paint mixed with sand, which discourages beavers from chewing on them,” Pierce added.

Boom! Beavers help biodiversity in cities and even if they cause an issue it is better to fix it and here are some easy tools to do so.

I am very close to retirement. Or as they say in the UK about layoffs “Being made redundant“, Wow.

Pierce believes locals should embrace beavers instead of seeing them as a nuisance.

“People can show their support by engaging with local authorities and property owners,” she said. “Decision-makers sometimes assume the public is against beavers when, in reality, many people love seeing them and appreciate their ecological benefits.”

Some communities in Metro Vancouver have already stepped up, preventing beaver relocations through activism and education.

For Pierce, one fun way is through storytelling and social media.

“Some places have given their beavers names and even [X] accounts,” Pierce said with a laugh. “It helps people connect with them and see them as part of the community.”

Okay admit it, You think I secretly wrote this article and made up Ms Pierce. I almost do myself. But no, its legit. I swear on a stack of beavers. That’s just the world we live in now.

Want to spot some beavers? Head to the wetlands around the Squamish River, Alice Lake Provincial Park, or the Mamquam River.

It maybe time for this beaver boomer to hang up her worry beads.

GOOD GOLLY MISS MOLLY IS AT CDFW!

heidi08 Attitudes towards beavers, Beaver relocation December 29, 2024

This is the article that got all my attention after the holidays. And its not because I love Modesto so much. See if you can guess what caught my eye.

Beavers in Modesto? Sightings aren’t unusual, but you have to know where, when to look

Residents may not be used to seeing beavers in Modesto, but it turns out there is a long history of them in and around the area’s rivers and creeks. Jim Inman, wildlife biologist for FishBio based in Oakdale, said he sees beavers in Modesto fairly regularly, even in Dry Creek. “I’ve seen them downstream in the Grayson and Shiloh area and as upstream as La Grange,” he said.

Molly Alves, Beaver Restoration Program supervisor for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said this definitely is a part of the state where beavers are historically native.

Molly Allves is the Beaver Restoration Program supervisor for CDFW? She has been with the Tulalip tribes forever and just last month listed herself as employed there in her presentation at the Beaver Institute.

This is WONDERFUL news because she knows more about beaver relocation than anyone except maybe Gerhard Schwab. I was worried that CDFW was modelling itself after the Utah program for moving beavers, but this is MUCH MUCH better news.

Alves, the Beaver Restoration Program supervisor, said there have been problems with beavers felling fruit or ornamental trees, and they are attracted to human infrastructure, for example “culverts” or tunnels that allow water drainage under roads. “Culverts are the biggest thing. Basically, a beaver sees a culvert and it sees a dam with a tiny hole in it, and those are easy to plug, particularly when the culverts are undersized,” she said. Hart, the Fish and Wildlife volunteer, said beavers have been known to plug up canals and flood out farmers’ lands. “Beavers are controversial because to an environmentalist and nature person, they’re a keystone species that creates an ecosystem,” he said. “But where man land-manages the rivers and waterways and agriculture, they are a nuisance species.” Hart fished a large, dead beaver from under the footbridge at Kewin Park last year. “They do get poached,” he said. “So the one I picked out might very well have been shot.” For the first time in 75 years, beavers are being relocated to other areas of the state, but it’s in small numbers for restoration of historic beaver populations like at the Tule River Indian Reservation, and only as a last resort. There are several ways to reduce the negative impact of beavers in areas that are more populated. Lundquist said her team is creating a beaver help desk to inform and provide resources on how to coexist with beavers. Wraps have been placed around some cottonwood trees in Tuolumne River Regional Park’s Gateway parcel that prevents beavers from chewing on them as they grow.

Well well well. Is Valerie Cook still the program manager? And she hired Molly after she presented her relocation data to the staff? Either way this is VERY GOOD NEWS for the beavers, because being relocated is hard work.

And they have a much better chance under Molly’s watchful eye. This deserves celebration as other than making Chuck Bonham cry at the first relocation its the very most encouraging thing I’ve heard yet about the CDFW beaver restoration program.

Welcome aboard, Molly.

A BANDIT FOR BIODIVERSITY IN BELGIUM

heidi08 Attitudes towards beavers, Beaver ecological impact December 22, 2024

I’ve been saving the best for last. This is the PERFECT listen for the Sunday before the big day. Belgium is an ideal destination for a snowy Christmas adventure. With steaming bowls of melted chocolate and creme in every cafe showing Starbuck a thing or two. Whether you are wrapping last minute gifts or baking a struedel this the fun listen you didn’t know you needed.

Lots of us are bogged down with heavy environmental regulations and the delicately needed to calm our anxious neighbors. Olivia’s story offers blessed and naughty relief from all that. Just for an hour climb alongside the Robinhood sleigh of the Beaver Bandit.

You’re welcome.