Beavers or Social Ambasadors – Page 17

Unbelievably good news…

heidi08 Beavers elsewhere, Beavers or Social Ambasadors, City Reports, Creative Solutions January 13, 2013

Let’s say, (and why not) that an unnamed city a fair drive from Martinez had some beavers that were blocking a culvert. Not surprising yet? Here’s the fun part: through a weird accident of fate they didn’t want to kill them. (Yet.) They wondered if they could solve the problem another way, and wrote Wildcare for help.

Wildcare didn’t know much about fixing beaver haitat but they had recently published my article about it and sent their SOS my way. I followed up and talked to these folk about the issue and arranged for Cheryl to go have a look at the habitat. Gasp-inducing fact #1: when I mentioned the value of beavers to the watershed and all the wildlife they’d produce, the person on the phone said “Oh you don’t have to convince me! We know!”

Let’s say that when Cheryl was out scoping the habitat she met the man behind the beaver-savin’ campaign who happened to have installed a camera to keep watch on them. Lets say he was actually employed for this unnamed city and asked if we could do a site survey and tell them what they might need. Let’s say at our yearly new year’s dinner,Cheryl arranged for Jon and Igor to come traipsing around the habitat and look around.

Now let’s say that the habitat turned out to be the most magical beaver wetlands imaginable. They had a delightful morning following the twists and turn of a perfectly meandering stream and identifying 6 dams and countless chews. There were cheerful conversations, otter scat, paper whites, and more secret dams to uncover than they had time to track down! A second visit was planned. Mike’s DVD was given along with two Worth A Dam hats, at which time the resident beaver saver offered his card.

Gasp-inducing fact 2: his card said he was from an undisclosed department that had greatly balked about saving our beavers, lo these many years ago.

What happens next? Well, Igor and I may be requested to present a plan to the city council, (no names until they’re on board) and detail the reasons to live with beavers, of which I can tell you right now the biggest one is that this habitat is so beautiful that even if they trap every single one they’ll be more in 6 months anyway. We discussed the Worth A Dam scholarship and having Mike or Skip come do it and we’ll see what happens next!

All in all a pretty remarkable start to the new year. And I am in wonderland.

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Martinez update: Beaver visit last night saw no actual beavers but plenty of work on the primary dam, nothing on the secondary

And lots of work on the possibly to be renamed ‘third dam’.

Remember, beavers change things. It’s what they do.

Beaver ‘amuse bouche’

heidi08 Beavers, Beavers or Social Ambasadors, Festival, Friends of Martinez Beavers January 7, 2013

Small news today after our big beaver weekend. I have been working on my presentation for Oregon and wanted to share a graphic I made to show the beaver champions who have trekked the country to see our beavers. See who you can identify.

visitors — left to right - Ian Timothy; Sherry Guzzy & Mary Long( Sierra Wildlife Coalition); Skip Lisle, Leonard & Lois Houston, Sharon & Owen Brown (BWW), Mary O'Brien (Grand Canyon Trust), Amanda Parish & Joe Cannon (Lands Council) Michael Pollock (NOAA Fisheries), Brock Dolman & Kate Lundquist (OAEC).

Just so you know, that’s California, Kentucky, Vermont, Oregon, New York, Utah, and Washington. (43 states left to go, and we’re expecting Massachusetts in February). Whew, they should probably name an airport after us. All roads DO lead to Rome!

Also there is a new delight from our own Amelia Hunter, the talented artist who designed our last two festival brochures. If you’re not from around here you might not know that one of the many claims to fame of this city is the supposed invention of the “Martini” in “Martinez”. Get it?

amelia glass! — Another dam martini - Amelia Hunter

MARTINEZ BEAVERS GLASSWARE $15

Hand painted, oven cured, permanent. Dishwasher and food safe. Beavers! When the beavers

picked Martinez to call home, I suspect they could sense the soft spot in our hearts. With the

annual Beaver Festival now in its 5th year, and its own non-profit Worth A Dam I declare the

beavers a significant addition to the charm of Martinez, CA – the birthplace of the martini!

I can customize glassware, too, with a name, a date, or ? Order your glass at

www.ArtofAmelia.com or email me at Amelia@ArtofAmelia.com.

CARE: Top rack dishwasher safe or hand wash with the smooth side of the sponge. Be advised,

after putting it through the dishwasher, make sure it is completely dry and cooled before use, or

paint may scratch off.

You know you want one. Go here order yourself, your parents or your co-worker a pair. Be sure to tell her you saw it on this website, love her work and sure hope she agrees to do this year’s brochure!

Friends in damp places

heidi08 Beavers, Beavers elsewhere, Beavers or Social Ambasadors, Creative Solutions, Educational, Environmental November 4, 2012

Storm Sends Beavers into Pentagon City Streets

Humans aren’t the only ones suffering the effects of Superstorm Sandy. The storm apparently forced some beavers out of their habitats and into the streets of Pentagon City.

A few residents who live in a condo complex on S. Hayes Street were about to head out this morning when they were surprised by a wet, furry visitor.

The residents called animal control upon encountering the beaver scurrying from door to door. Desiree Lomer-Clarke said the animal control worker who came to the scene reported having to deal with two other beavers earlier this morning.

Wow, that qualifies as the kindest possible reception to some stray beavers from our friends in Virginia. Considering that folks were water soaked and very recently had the most famous rabid beaver attack in the history of the world just 7 miles away in Lake Barcroft, this was truly unexpected kindness.

The displaced beavers were not acting in an erratic manner to suggest they would have rabies — as happened twice this summer during beaver attacks in Fairfax County — so they were released near their homes.

As the area’s water levels return to normal, Zell said the beavers that wandered Pentagon City should be able to once again inhabit their dens. If the dens were damaged or destroyed by the storm, the animals should adjust easily to a new habitat.

Sounds like Mr. Zell is a friend of ours. You have to wonder what were the compassion strings that got pulled behind the scenes to let this happen so smoothly. Well, I never look a beaver gifthorse in the mouth. Thanks Pentagon city for showing some uncommon sense in a time of watery distress!

And to follow up on the dragonflies in beaver ponds report here’s a fantastic poster from their work in Germany. Click on the image for a better look.

Croatia: New Spies

heidi08 Beavers, Beavers elsewhere, Beavers or Social Ambasadors, City Reports, Creative Solutions, Educational, Environmental October 22, 2012

A long time ago the international beaver symposium took place in Lithuania and we sent beaver friend AH over from Germany to take notes and ask questions. Remember Skip was at that one? And we were particularly interested because the issue of beavers had just sprung to the forefront in Riga?

Haven’t heard from AH in a while (sigh!) but no matter, this year we had NEW spies to attend the beaver symposium in Croatia!

Representatives from Scottish Wild Beaver Group travel to Bavaria and Croatia on information gathering trips

Members of the Scottish Wild Beaver Group (SWBG) and other interested parties are in Bavaria this week for a study trip organised by the group.

The trip is funded by the European Archnetwork and the six people going represent woodland, fisheries, non-governmental organisations and legal interests, and include the author of a recent Scottish Natural Heritage report on the use of derogations in management of protected species.Paul and Louise Ramsay have also been invited to talk about the Tayside Beavers at an event in Oregon next year.

And in addition to good press they even wrote a blow by blow account of the conference and everyone they met there.

“The International Beaver Symposium would not be the same without Gerhard Schwab from Bavaria, extraduction expert of beavers to the world, including Mongolia. Here he is at a thoughtful moment during dinner on the first evening of the symposium.’

“At the next table were Gerhard and, next to him, Hugh Dignon, the Scottish Government’s Head of Wildlife. It was a credit to Hugh that he took the trouble to come. On the right of the photograph is Karen Taylor, who works for Scottish Natural Heritage in Lochgilphead. I wonder what she is thinking as she looks at Hugh Dignon.”

Since there were some SNH folks there, there was a bit of a stir when Paul talked about the first ‘feral beaver’ who was captured and died in the zoo. I’ll let him tell it since years of upperclass breeding and attending Eaton probably give him the diplomacy advantage. Suffice it to say, fee-fees were hurt, and feathers ruffled, and Paul and Louise scurried about and made their amends on behalf of the free tayside beavers.

All in all it looks like a splendid event, and one that’s growing up, since the inclusion of the Ramsays is the first time it moved out of the ‘science-y’ realm and into the real-world challenges of living with beavers. Maybe someday you’ll be ready for the exciting story of Martinez! Let us know!

Future Wildlife Technicians of Palo Alto?

heidi08 Beaver Behavior, Beavers or Social Ambasadors, City Reports, Creative Solutions October 1, 2012

This arrived as one of an envelope full of thank you notes from the school of gifted children we toured and taught last week. Obviously the design of the Castor Master (and additional rhyme!) appealed, which means a bus full of 7 year olds already know more than most city managers and council members in the nation.

Makes sense to me.