Category: Beavers and Forests

The beaver cheer that we hold dear

heidi08 Beavers and Birds, Beavers and Forests, Beavers and Frogs, Beavers and salmon, Beavers and trout, Beavers and water, Beavers elsewhere, Educational, Environmental, Who's saving beavers now? December 26, 2015

After Christmas cheer from the Hartford Courant in Connecticut.

**The beaver dam separates pond from forest. The dam is impressive, rising 5-6 feet over the surrounding forest. (Peter Marteka / hc)**

Haddam Land Trust Busy As A Beaver Seeking To Preserve Parcel

Cowan had invited people from around the area to attend a “Walk About The Pond” hike last weekend to showcase the parcel the trust has an option to purchase. In the email he called it an “incredibly important conservation parcel” with “exceptional qualities.” The property lies just to the north of the Route 82 connector between Route 9 and the Tylerville section of Haddam.

“Believe it or not, this was just a big, soggy meadow before the beavers came,” Cowan said.

But like the popular phrase, the beavers have been busy. And they haven’t been busy gnawing down all the trees. The brilliant animal engineers have created several dams out of mud, effectively blocking up the former meadow’s outlet stream beds. A 6-foot-high dam is at the northern end of the pond. There is also a series of smaller dams that block other outlets. Simply amazing.

“Beavers always seem to get a bad rap,” said one woman on the tour. I couldn’t have agreed more. The transformation of this low area in the middle of the woods to a pond filled with water lilies by North America’s largest rodent was an impressive engineering feat.

Ahh thank you Hadam Land Trust, and reporter Peter Marteka. There is nothing like some beaver appreciation to start the day off right. I love to read the joyful recognition at what a well placed series of dams can do. Even if Martinez doesn’t get any at the moment. Sniff.

How about some more beaver appreciation, this time from just outside Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.

Dog sledding, beaver habitats draws for visitors to Armstrong County trails

There have always been plenty of reasons for local folks and out-of-towners to visit the Armstrong Trail. But now, with an uptick in wildlife activity — and an offering of dog-sled rides — visitors have more of a reason to hit the trail.

ARTA supports and helps maintain about 30 miles of trail stretching from Rosston to East Brady.The volunteer organization recently gave permission allowing Allen Dunn of Rayburn to give dog-sled rides along the trail.

Recently, trail users have noticed a lot of evidence of beavers at work in the Madison Township area. On Tuesday, as rain dripped from bare branches and rushing water tumbled over rocks down a hillside, Owen stood near a section of trail between Rimer and Hook Station. Mist drifted through the valley and spilled over the Allegheny River.

Owen stooped to examine the trunk of a young birch tree that had been gnawed to a teetering point by the furry river-dwelling critters. More than a dozen chewed-up birch branches lay on the mossy ground near the river bank. The beaver dens were well-concealed and tucked out of sight far below the tree line near the water’s edge.

“We don’t consider them a nuisance,” Owen said. “They are a part of the natural world, and there’s no fear of them damming up the Allegheny.”

Ron Steffey agreed. He’s the director of the Allegheny Valley Land Trust, which owns the trail. “We’re the ones coming into their domain,” he said.

He joked that he trained the beavers to notch the trees so the trunks would fall toward the river rather than across the trail path. And he noted that because the beavers had thinned out the birch, young oaks growing in the area will have more of a chance to gain a foothold.

Wonderous. I would certainly be willing to take a sled dog ride to see beaver habitat in the snow. Wouldn’t you? And now we have evidence of positive regard for beavers from the state whose nickname happens to be “The Keystone State”. How appropriate!

Best beaver present yesterday came from Knob Creek Metal Arts in Kentucky. How’s this for a pair of book holders?

Finally a, proud photo snapped by Rusty yesterday at the Tulocay beaver pond which proves, once and for all, that Napa wins Christmas.

woodduck — **Wooduck in Tulocay pond: Rusty Cohn**

It’s always darkest just before the dawn

heidi08 Beavers, Beavers and Birds, Beavers and Forests, Beavers and Frogs, Beavers and salmon, Beavers and trout, Beavers and water, Beavers elsewhere, Educational, Environmental, Who's blaming beavers now?, Who's saving beavers now? December 16, 2015

Things were looking might grim for the beavers of Tom’s River in New Jersey a couple days ago. Residents had taken all they could stand of the animals blocking the outflow of the lake, which meant creeping water lines into their gardens. Trapping season doesn’t start until the day after Christmas, and we all know how hard it is to wait until Christmas. They were chomping at the bit to get rid of the animals once and for all.

Toms River’s dam dilemma

Leave it to the beavers.

Township Engineer Robert Chankalian points out a clogged drain. Beavers are wreaking havoc for residents along Lake Placid Drive and Oak Glen Road by clogging the drainage systems along the lake between the two roads. Toms River, NJ Wednesday, November 18, 2015 @dhoodhood (Photo: Doug Hood/Staff Photographer)

The industrious, brown-furred rodents have been building dams in Lake Placid here, and some residents say that flooding caused by the busy beavers threatens their yards and homes. Beavers have become a big problem in this part of Toms River — so much so that it’s already cost Toms River some $75,000 to $80,000 to put in drainage facilities to dissuade the beavers, but the efforts aren’t working, said Business Administrator Paul Shives.

“For the past three years, the width of the stream has widened four to five times,” Lake Placid Drive resident Anthony Gural said at a recent Township Council meeting. “It’s approximately seven feet from my property.”

Come on, just 75,000 to 80,000 to dissuade the beavers? They are very hard to dissuade. Is that ALL you can manage lying about? In Martinez we said beavers cost the cities hundreds of thousands, $375,000 to be exact. We even got a gullible reporter from the LA Times to repeat it. I mean its just a made up number. Why not make a big one?

Regardless of how much the oddly named Tom’s River has spent valiantly hiring backhoes or throwing keg parties to discourage the beavers, it just hasn’t worked. Awww. Lucky for them New Jersey happens to be the home of the Unexpected Wildlife Refuge. So newly minted director Veronica Van hof called her many beaver friends to the plate. This morning she announced that Mike Callahan of Beaver Solutions will consult for free. And Owen Brown of Beavers: Wetlands & Wildlife will pitch in if he needs a helper.

Their local Patch reports:

Beavers Vexing Toms River Resident

An animal group that operates a sanctuary was meeting informally with township officials on Monday in an attempt to convince officials not to kill the animals.

“More humane, compassionate and ethical methods of discouraging beavers from damming waterways and causing flooding exist. In the long run, these preferred methods are more successful and actually save money,” a member of the group Unexpected Wildlife Refuge, which takes particular interest in beavers.

I’d say they take a particular interest in beavers. The refuge was started by Hope Buyukmihci and her husband, with a special dedication to the animals. Here’s a favorite photo of Hope that should make her feelings fairly clear.

I would caution that the battle isn’t over yet, I mean just because the solution is offered there’s no telling if it will be accepted. And the rights of property owners versus the rights of beavers is never a fair fight. But I’m hopeful with all these good players involved there’s at least a chance for a Happy New Year.

In the mean time there was a LOVELY look at beavers on Wild Canada the other day, which I think I can share with you for a while. And before you say to yourself, beavers hrmph, who needs to see more of them, let me tell you that the beautiful documentary contains a NEVER BEFORE SEEN DISCOVERY of muskrat behavior in the beaver lodge. You will NOT believe it. The whole thing is excellent and the clip starts with great wolverine footage, which is pretty rare too. I’d watch it all the way through when you have time before it ceases to be available.

GO! Tell it on the mountain!

heidi08 Beavers and Birds, Beavers and Forests, Beavers and Frogs, Beavers and salmon, Beavers and trout, Beavers and water, Beavers or Social Ambasadors, City Reports, Creative Solutions, Environmental, Who's saving beavers now? December 15, 2015

I thought this article deserved some seasonal celebration and this endeared itself to me. Especially the twirling little girl in red on the left who is certain it’s a ballet she’s been asked to conform. Ahh youth! Now read that upcoming headline and just SEE if this doesn’t make you want to add a little pirouette of your own!

Leaving it to beavers: Communities make room for natural engineers

Once valued as little more than pelts, beavers are back in vogue and rebuilding their reputation as habitat engineers.

It helps their cause that the dams they build as homes also create water quality-boosting wetlands and habitat for other species. In the process, the structures slow the flow of water and filter out sediment that would otherwise be on its way to the Chesapeake Bay.

John Griffin, director of urban wildlife programs at the U.S. Humane Society, said beavers are often embroiled in conflicts when their dams result in flooding or other impacts to the developments around them.

“When people are living in an urban area, they think that animals belong in a natural habitat — not here,” he said. “We’re not thinking about there being a functioning ecosystem here.”

The problems arise when both humans and beavers build their homes around natural water features, and each has impacts on the other. But, Griffin said, there are solutions that allow both to be good neighbors.

Residents can use tree guards to protect their expensive ornamentals from beavers’ teeth. Rather than destroying dams or trapping beavers, they can mitigate the impact of rising water tables with devices like the “beaver deceiver,” which uses pipes to channel water through the dam while giving the beaver the feeling of damming the stream.

Beavers and their dams also bring new habitats to urban and suburban environments, creating the wetlands known to be key to several species’ survival. Griffin said more people are warming to the idea that a beaver can bring benefits to the neighborhood.

Urban parks can be a great place for beavers to redefine the landscape, as they have at Bladensburg Waterfront Park along the District of Columbia’s stretch of the Anacostia River. Jorge Bogantes Montero, stewardship program specialist in natural resources for the Anacostia Watershed Society, said three beaver dams constructed in one stretch of the park demonstrate their ability to attract wildlife and clean the water even in the middle of the city.

Nice.

I always believed the day would come when I would read an entire article that said exactly what I would have said if I had written it, but I in fact didn’t write it and knew nothing at all about it – from the other half of the country. I believed the day would come, but I didn’t know for sure, because you never, ever know how these things will turn out. I worked so hard I had wanted to show you what I’ve written so far for the urban beaver chapter, but if you read this article very closely you will get the idea.

Just remember that before Martinez took the plunge in 2007 the phrase ‘Urban Beavers’ was on no one’s lips. And now its popping up on East Coast articles where beaver phobia is usually rampant. I’m so proud of us. We all deserve this to get us ready for what’s to come.

SO MUCH LEARNING!

heidi08 Beaver Chewing, Beavers and Birds, Beavers and Forests, Beavers and Frogs, Beavers and salmon, Beavers and trout, Beavers and water, Beavers elsewhere, What's killing beavers now?, Who's blaming beavers now? December 9, 2015

The bright sparks of dimly lit Nevada are continuing to process ground-breaking research and expert advice using their intricate circular filing method. They have received consultation from the Sierra Wildlife Coalition, the Human Society, the Sierra Club, Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, and Worth A Dam, so of course they are paying the most careful attention.

Sparks changes tactics with nuisance beavers

Nuisance beavers have been gnawing their way through trees and building dams along the North Truckee Drain in Sparks, causing damage and increasing the risk of residential flooding.

After spending city resources focusing on the dams to little long-term effect, the city of Sparks recently tried to shift its focus to the beaver population itself. In order to mitigate the problems caused by the dam-building beavers, the city was advised by the Nevada Department of Wildlife to seek a special permit last month to catch and kill the animals. As of last week, however, the city decided to put that strategy on hold, concerned about the inhumane nature of the process.

The permit, which was issued Nov. 10 and is good for a full year, gave the city permission to remove the animals through trapping and/or shooting them, which they decided to do through a third party contractor. Captured animals are not allowed to be moved or relocated due to the potential spread of disease, such as the infectious bacterial illness tularemia, and the territoriality that occurs between beaver populations.

The beavers in Sparks were being trapped underwater to avoid potentially capturing domestic animals, or even small children, above ground. The beavers were drowning to death, which the city now feels is not the most humane way to take care of the problem. Five beavers were killed in total.

Well at least they finally got the beaver deaths reported, even if they didn’t admit that it was an entire family. Sherry and Ted Guzzi have been hard at work offering solutions to problems at hand, and we had a long discussion about how to wriggle maximum support out of their lying, opportunistic mouths. But obviously there has been little real change. Just look at what Mr. Healy is saying even after I specifically sent him three research articles on beavers and birds.

“This is part of the ongoing drought,” said Chris Healy, spokesman for NDOW. “When we have troubles with drought, water sources are limited, and so instead of the beavers taking out willows and creating dams, they go up drains and start taking out trees.”

Nevada law allows for the aggressive removal of beavers that are obstructing the free flow of water. Beavers can also cause significant damage to a river’s ecosystem, Healy said, in that they remove the limited number of trees that provide nesting for local birds and contribute to healthy fish habitats.

“Trees take decades to grow, whereas beavers only take a season to grow,” Healy said. “Nobody wants to kill an animal, but in some circumstances we have to do that. There are logical reasons for why we do what we do.”

Apparently trees in Nevada don’t coppice and Mr. Healy has never heard of the work beavers are doing to restore streams just up the road in his very own state. His is also unaware that beavers don’t respond to drought by moving into city drains. He feels no need to trouble himself with the research saying that beavers help birds, because he obviously knows better. Five years ago I’m sure he’d be saying beavers don’t belong because they’re not native. So that progress of a kind. And hey, beavers DO take less time to grow than trees. He’s got me there.

I guess what this all proves is that you can lead the NDOW to information about water, but you can’t make them THINK.

We need a good story to get that taste out of our mouths. This will do nicely.

New Beaver Dam in Roosevelt Forest teaches Lauralton Hall & Fairfield Prep students about beaver ecology

On November 24, Lauralton Hall students and Fairfield prep students met up with Christina Batoh, Stratford’s Conservation Officer, to learn about beaver ecology at the site of a recently constructed beaver dam in Roosevelt Forest. Students set out to answer the question, “Does the presence of the beaver dam impact stream water quality?” To do this they tested water samples from an upstream site.

Lauralton Hall students instructed their Fairfield Prep counterparts in how to conduct tests for dissolved oxygen, carbon dioxide, turbidity (sediment load), and pH. Students then analyzed their test results and concluded that the presence of the beaver dam does indeed impact stream water quality with water downstream having better quality than the water upstream or at the dam site.

Got that? Did the high school student go to fast for you Mr. Healy? Let me know and I can slow them down. There’s more to talk about in the Ecologist this morning, but I have a conference call for the paper this morning, and am going to have to stop for now. For some reason, I’m thinking this video might be helpful to our new BFF in his scientific quest for the ecologic advancement.

Beavers: too big to fail?

heidi08 Beavers and Birds, Beavers and Forests, Beavers and Frogs, Beavers and salmon, Beavers and trout, Beavers and water, Beavers elsewhere, Creative Solutions, Who's saving beavers now? December 7, 2015

Thanks to our astute retired librarian friend BK from Georgia for sending this my way. You can guess what I immediately thought.

Researcher calls southwestern foundation species too big to fail

When a tree species supports more than 1,000 animals, birds, insects and microbes, the tree type can be considered too big to fail. “Cottonwoods are the General Motors of the plant world because they define a community and an ecosystem,” said Tom Whitham, Regents’ professor of biological sciences. Whitham’s genetics-based research is designed to conserve cottonwoods in the face of climate change.

Whitham and other scientists think this conservation strategy is especially important to keep foundation species in the landscape during climate change.

“Historically, there has been a very long lag time between basic research and implementation into management practice and we can no longer afford to do it that way,” Whitham said. “With the rates of climate change, there needs to be a seamless integration between the scientific findings and land management applications.”

This practice has already been achieved in agriculture, where a similar approach has changed management practices with soil scientists, plant geneticists and climatologists working together to increase crop production. Whitham said it makes sense to apply similar principals to wildlands, but with different goals of maintaining healthy ecosystems and high biodiversity.

Of course I immediately went there. Didn’t you? If sustaining many species makes something too important to lose beavers are a lock. Not to mention removing toxins, recycling nutrients, trapping sediments and storing water, which (last time I checked) EVERY species on the planet needs. Surely that must make them too big to fail. Or be failed.

I have such smart friends that I recognized Dr. Whitham’s work from the “A Thousand Invisible Cords” video a beaver supporter from Marin sent earlier. Consider this an educational website and remember one particular foundation species in the west is way too big to fail.