Category: Beaver Conference

BEAVER + EDUCATION MAKES A FINE PAIRING

heidi08 Beaver Conference, Beavers February 5, 2021

Things are looking up for the California Beaver Summit. Just yesterday we landed an excellent speaker from CDFW who I believe felt it was no longer worth avoiding. We had a great planning meeting with the steering committee and last night I was notified we are included in this months bulletin of the California Resource Conservation Districts!

CARCD UPDATES:

California Beaver Summit
California is having its first Beaver Summit on April 7 & 9. Click here for more information.

I guess we’re really in it now.

Good, Let’s hope this encourages folks across the state to do beavers differently and across the country to have beaver summits of their very own! I can see there already priming the pump in Connecticut.

Lyme Land Trust Offers ‘An Exploration Of Beaver Pond Ecology’ Zoom Presentation On February 10

On Wednesday, Feb. 10, at 7:00 p.m., the Lyme Land Trust (LLT) will offer “An Exploration of Beaver Pond Ecology,” a Zoom presentation by naturalist Mike Zarfos and Sue Cope, the LLT environmental director. The presentation will explore the rich diversity of plants and animals that share the habitat that develops with beaver activity. To register for the program, send an email to sue.cope@lymelandtrust.org.

Wonderful! The Lyme Land Trust describes it thusly:

Live Video Screening – An Exploration of Beaver Pond Ecology in Hartman Park

Join us on for a Zoom Q & A and live viewing of our fascinating new educational video, An Exploration of Beaver Pond Ecology–Hartman Park, Lyme CT with Mike Zarfos, naturalist. In the 30 minute video, Mike Zarfos, takes you on a remote “walk” to learn about the rich diversity of plants and animals which share the habitat which occurs with beaver activity at a Lyme Preserve. In his enjoyable way, he relates interesting features about each species he finds along the way.

On Wednesday evening, Mike, the writer, and Sue Cope, the editor for the video, will be live on Zoom for a brief introduction and then a Q&A after the viewing. Mike is a naturalist and PhD Candidate in Conservation Biology at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Sue Cope is the Environmental Director of the Lyme Land Trust and has experience in documentary film-making. Also involved in the video production were Lyme land Trust board members Joe Standart, photographer, and Wendolyn Hill, Open Space Coordinator of the Town of Lyme.

To register for the program, email sue.cope@lymelandtrust.org. You will be sent a link a few days before the Zoom event.

The Lyme Land Trust has been working to bring you videos of preserve experiences in this present-day remote learning environment. This video is our second full-length educational video. Check out our other virtual explorations: “Preserve Highlights”, short videos, and “Trail Cam” videos. Visit the Lyme Land Trust website to view the videos: https://www.lymelandtrust.org/explore/

Oh man. That looks GREAT! Zoombeavers are catching on everywhere! I hope people still have any questions left they want answered in April!

LOCKED AND LOGO’ED

heidi08 Beaver Conference February 1, 2021

Click here to visit the new California Beaver Summit website! The good news is that Amelia finished this last night which should start the conversation nicely,

I think that should catch some eyeballs right?

The other good news is that Sheri Harstein shared a video she’s been working on yesterday of her patient work in the Sierras. I think you’ll enjoy it. Turn your sound up.

[wonderplugin_video iframe=”https://youtu.be/J0I4z7FA70o” lightbox=0 lightboxsize=1 lightboxwidth=960 lightboxheight=540 autoopen=0 autoopendelay=0 autoclose=0 lightboxtitle=”” lightboxgroup=”” lightboxshownavigation=0 showimage=”” lightboxoptions=”” videowidth=600 videoheight=400 keepaspectratio=1 autoplay=0 loop=0 videocss=”position:relative;display:block;background-color:#000;overflow:hidden;max-width:100%;margin:0 auto;” playbutton=”https://www.martinezbeavers.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/wonderplugin-video-embed/engine/playvideo-64-64-0.png”]

BEAVERS FOR HOPE AND CHANGE

heidi08 Beaver Conference, Beaver ecological impact January 19, 2021

1 day more! Hmmm somebody needs to reshoot that les miz scene as Biden & Harris getting ready to move in, Ivanka bring left alone in the dark, Trump grimly anticipating his arrest and the national guard getting ready for an easy battle. Get right on that internet, okay?

[wonderplugin_video iframe=”https://youtu.be/Sv-BxH3SVS8″ lightbox=0 lightboxsize=1 lightboxwidth=960 lightboxheight=540 autoopen=0 autoopendelay=0 autoclose=0 lightboxtitle=”” lightboxgroup=”” lightboxshownavigation=0 showimage=”” lightboxoptions=”” videowidth=600 videoheight=400 keepaspectratio=1 autoplay=0 loop=0 videocss=”position:relative;display:block;background-color:#000;overflow:hidden;max-width:100%;margin:0 auto;” playbutton=”https://www.martinezbeavers.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/wonderplugin-video-embed/engine/playvideo-64-64-0.png”]

In the mean time hakai magazine has some good environmental news for a change. It’s a nice read for these trying times. Of course I’ll share the best bits.

An Antidote for Environmental Despair

We are living amid a planetary crisis. “I am hopeless,” a student in an environmental study graduate program recently told me. “I’ve seen the science. I am hopeless because the state of the planet is hopeless.”

It’s not surprising she feels so depressingly fatalistic. In his speech at the start of a two-week international conference in Madrid, Spain, in December 2019, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “The point of no return is no longer over the horizon. It is in sight and hurtling toward us.”

The environmental crisis is also a crisis of hope.

I believe the way to spread hope is to collectively challenge the tired narrative of environmental doom and gloom that reproduces a hopeless status quo, and replace it with an evidence-based argument that improves our capacity to engage with the real and overwhelming issues we face.

Hmm now what on earth could make a person feel HOPEFUL about the environment right now? When we’re destroying ecosystems at such a great rate. Surely there’s nothing that creates them as fast?

Natural climate solutions occur when we conserve and restore ecosystems—and improve land management. It’s thrilling to see how quickly life returns when given the opportunity. In the largest dam-removal project in the history of the United States, the Elwha River now runs freely from a snowfield in the mountains of Washington’s Olympic National Park to the Pacific Ocean. Salmon started to return to their natal waters upstream almost immediately after the dams were removed in 2014. Reservoir beds that looked like moonscapes now host vibrant young forests and wetlands where elk graze. The return of beavers to the Elwha watershed is a boon for salmon. Beavers drag branches, making shallow water channels where juvenile salmon can safely travel, and beaver dams create slower water habitats where the insects that salmon feed upon thrive.

And Washington gets out of the way and lets them do it. Sometimes you don’t need to swoop in and make things better. You just need to move out of the way and letter beavers do their job.

There are plenty of other wonderful examples of environmental recovery in the article that will soothe your savaged spirit. It ends with these wise words.

The vast scale, complexity, urgency, and destructive power of biodiversity loss, climate change, and countless other issues are real. Yet assuming a fatalistic perspective and positioning hopelessness as a foregone conclusion is not reality. It is a mindset, and it’s a widespread and debilitating one. It not only undermines positive change, it squashes the belief that anything good could possibly happen.

True that. Good things do happen and are indeed possible. I’m so old I remember when there had never been a statewide beaver discussion on the pacific coast and now the first EVER California Beaver Summit is going to be a reality.

I’m off this morning to chat with Eva Bishop of the Cornwall Beaver Trust about getting kids engaged and excited about beavers an using activities to educate. I guess she thinks we have some experience in that area.

[wonderplugin_video iframe=”https://youtu.be/vgLfnHRJvZU” lightbox=0 lightboxsize=1 lightboxwidth=960 lightboxheight=540 autoopen=0 autoopendelay=0 autoclose=0 lightboxtitle=”” lightboxgroup=”” lightboxshownavigation=0 showimage=”” lightboxoptions=”” videowidth=600 videoheight=400 keepaspectratio=1 autoplay=0 loop=0 videocss=”position:relative;display:block;background-color:#000;overflow:hidden;max-width:100%;margin:0 auto;” playbutton=”https://www.martinezbeavers.org/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/wonderplugin-video-embed/engine/playvideo-64-64-0.png”]

AURORA SAVES BEAVERS TOO

heidi08 Attitudes towards beavers, Beaver Conference, Who's Killing Beavers Now?, Who's saving beavers now? January 15, 2021

I would say that the beaver summit keeps looking better and better, but you probably would think I’m exaggerating anyway. I’m getting excited for the way it is unfurling though and I’m pretty happy with the team of beaver champions putting it together. Fingers crossed the website and logo will launch this Sunday. But here’s a preview.

And now there’s time for my favorite kind of story from Canada. This from the town of Aurora which is just across the water from New York.

Town suspends beaver trapping following public outcry

The Town of Aurora has suspended the trapping of beavers at stormwater management ponds following a public outcry.

According to Eliza Bennett, Acting Manager of Corporate Communications for the Town of Aurora, the Town has suspended trapping activity pending consultation with Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources about “best practices and alternative methods for beaver management.”

“Our preference is always to have peaceful co-existence with local wildlife, and we are hopeful that we can find a way to protect residents from flooding and enhance our handling of wildlife at the same time.”

Yes I’d prefer that too. Remember the homebase of Fur-bearer Defenders is right there in Toronto so I’m pretty sure the city has faced this kind of opposition before.

“I have heard from numerous nature walkers that the Town is setting wildlife traps in ponds to kill beavers,” she said. “These lethal traps are hidden in the water at the end of wildlife trails. Check out reports from dog owners across the country whose pets suffered broken muzzles and leg amputations after stepping on a concealed trap in the water.

“There is no law that requires public posting of the location of these cruel traps, but we expect Town policy of transparency. Let us know the location of these traps and why they are necessary. Aurorans take pride in the natural trails and forests. Killing wildlife should be the last resort.”

Apparently they got the full social media treatment and came with their talking points ready.

“We have a healthy beaver population in our Town, and our preference is always for co-existence, tolerance and prevention,” said Ms. Bennett. “We actually use a number of methods to manage beavers, including wrapping trees with wire, planting species of trees that beavers don’t touch, and removing dams where necessary. That being said, in some cases, and despite our best preventative efforts, beaver activity results in a risk to public safety, or a risk of damage to public infrastructure.”

Ahhh the famous danger to infrastructure. Which might mean a tree falling on a picnic table or a culvert getting plugged. It’s a pretty adaptable defense.

“As such, for this type of situation, we operate a nuisance beaver program that includes trapping – a common practice in municipalities across North America. This is, again, a last resort. Trapping is done with licensed trappers and in accordance with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry and the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act. We work closely with these bodies to make sure that the program is run within regulations.”

The trap in question, she added, was subsequently stolen.

Well, sure.

COMING TOGETHER

heidi08 Attitudes towards beavers, Beaver Conference January 9, 2021

Guess what’s happening right now as we speak. Bruce is busily conjuring a website into being. It’s still on its early stages but I thought you’d want to see the conference description.

The California beaver Summit

Climate change is making our state hotter, drier, and harder on people and wildlife. Find out how beaver can help.

Beaver have shaped the landscapes of California for over 5 million years. Their dams have slowed runoff and created wetlands of carbon enriched meadows. They charged aquifers, maintained stable temperatures and cooled stream flows in California’s dry summers. Countless species and entire ecosystems have adapted to these beaver-maintained hydrologies and geomorphologies.

Today, across the US, Canada, and Europe, people have begun to better realize the value these rodents provide. The golden state has been slow to understand this lesson. The California Beaver Summit is an important step towards changing that.

During two half-day sessions on two days in April, we explore the many benefits that beavers offer to our drying state The first session on April 7^th will present an overview of beaver essentials. Discussion will clarify the history of beavers in the state, their ecological contribution as a keystone species, their function in aquatic restoration and conservation, and finally how to successfully manage common conflicts beavers cause.

The second session on April 9^th takes a closer look closer at how biologists, watershed stewards and land managers utilize advances in beaver science and management for restoration. It addresses where they are being employed for fire resilience, conservation of endangered species, and cleaner water. California-specific management and policy challenges will be highlighted along with directions for future improvements. Because we are behind other beaver-progressive western states like Washington and Utah, California is in an unique position to avoid their mistakes and learn from their successes.

Fires in close succession and habitat destruction in general are significantly altering our rich biodiversity. Drought is a persistent concern. Understanding beaver management can transform this animal from an uninvited guest to an untapped resource. Their stewardship of streams can make our state more beautiful, more robust to climate change and ultimately help keep California’s promise to future generations for years to come.

Lots of friends are sharing their favorite dam photos to get the website up. Here is a lovely one from Shari Hartstein.