Category: Beavers or Social Ambasadors

John Muir: Birthday Earth day

heidi08 Beavers or Social Ambasadors, City Reports, Creative Solutions, Earth Day April 13, 2010

Do these pictures suggest any kind of riddle to you? The old puzzle was a purported favorite of Lewis Carroll and now a standard of teachers everywhere. It’s a great problem-solving challenge and one that’s been much on my mind as we whittle down the hours until Saturday. As with any large scale undertaking, there are last minute changes and scheduling nightmares. Someone has to leave early and someone has to come late and no one wants to perform while the bagpipes warm up.

Never mind. I have it on the very best authority that John Muir himself will be spending some time at the beaver booth. I believe he is fond of our compassion and tenacity, qualities with which he is very familiar. Last year after a successful celebration he and a certain friend of Alhambra Creek spent a delightful evening at the dam watching the entire family with the helpful guidance of our own Cheryl Reynolds. With Muir and two descendents on site, I’m hoping the city manager will have the temerity to repeat his very thoughtful question “How would John Muir feel about planting trees for beavers?” Like all scholarly pursuits, motivated entirely by genuine curiosity and good will, I’m sure he could get an honest answer.

What are you doing, Saturday? I really think you should be there to see how this all works out.

Dickens Beavers

heidi08 Beaver News, Beavers elsewhere, Beavers or Social Ambasadors, Creative Solutions, History October 18, 2010

One of the signature characteristics of a Charles Dickens novel, (beside the rich characters, accessible dialogue, and fearless portrayal of class), is the number of coincidences that occur over the course of any story. He is famous for reintroducing the lost child to the searching mother; reconnecting young lovers severed through circumstance at a wealthy dinner party, (with one as a guest and one in service) and so on. While some have speculated that his use of coincidence was a plot convenience, or a lazy way to wrap things up, it more reflected his belief in the world. His friend John Forester said;

On the coincidences, resemblances, and surprises of life, Dickens liked especially to dwell, and few things moved his fancy so pleasantly. The world, he would say, was so much smaller than we thought; we were all so connected by fate without knowing it; people supposed to be far apart were so constantly elbowing each other; and to-morrow bore so close a resemblance to nothing half so much as yesterday.

I offer this by way of introduction to the surprising connections beaver supporters have made. For those following along at home, let’s review; last summer we held our largest and most successful beaver festival. it was attended by the coordinator of the girl scout extravaganza for northern california, and she invited Worth A Dam to participate. At the Flyway Fiesta we offered a charm bracelet activity that was enormously popular, and that lead to Worth A Dam being invited to two-day Flyway Festival.

At the Flyway festival we met the hydrologist from USFS who introduced us to the archeologist from the Bureau of Indian Affairs who had carbon-dated a paleo beaver dam at 750 years old. The dam was in Red Clover creek, at 5400 feet in plumas county. He had wanted to publish a paper challenging Tappe’s assertion that there “were no beaver in caiformia over 1000 feet” but he wanted a co-author.

Meanwhile my work with the beavers had lead to an invitation to be on the board for the john Muir Association. I’m in charge of entertainment for earthday this year and needed to secure a keynote speaker. Our wikipedia historian friend (who found us through the website) suggested Brock Dolman, so i tracked him down and we started a conversation. His very broad connections include a group of what I will call ‘beaver-curious’ folk who across the state who are interested in the restorative effect they have on the watershed. Brock was especially interested in the beaver-salmon connections and was able to convince the salmon conference people to add Michael Pollock to their line up this March.

Are you still with me? So Pollock gives his talk to a packed group who are very, very interested and he meets up with this Plumas county biologist from DFG who has a remarkable story to tell. Turns out he was the protege of the F&G old timer who was responsible for putting beavers in the the shasta region in the 1930’s. He of course, having read Tappe many times, thinks he was introducing them, and of course they thrived and did wonders for the watershed just as he expected they would. Touchingly, he said it was the ‘best thing he ever did’.

So the protege spent time looking at the hydrology and the terrain and began to get the sneaking suspicion that beaver had been there before; a reintroduction, not an introduction, but he didn’t want to argue with his mentor so he kept his suspicious to himself. Then he attends Pollock’s talk and afterwards an informal lunch discussion and learns about the archeologist and the carbon-dating and he announces that one of the creeks his old mentor had placed beavers was:

Red Clover Creek. The very place where the carbondated structure had been found!

Not enough coincidences for you? How about this little added tidbit. Way back when Martinez was talking about relocating our beavers to live on a reservation, guess where that offered asylum land was?

Plumas county.

Bogus Beaver Briefs…

heidi08 Beaver News, Beavers or Social Ambasadors, Creative Solutions April 1, 2010

Got a call from the Gazette last night as I was closing up shop, saying that being as today is April Fools they’d like to run a fake story about the beavers leaving town and then say “just kidding”. Did I object? What, you mean having a newspaper falsely print that the beavers were leaving? (CCT April 2008). Have a newspaper misrepresent Worth A Dam? (LA Times October 2009). Have a newspaper lie about the activity or intentions of the beavers? (San Francisco Chronicle 2007). Hmm. Looks like it ‘s all been done before, really. You have to get up pretty early in the morning to say something untrue about our beavers that hasn’t already been said.

So I did.

Fishermen complain beaver are reducing catch rate of bass.
Beaver breeds with housecat; creates world’s first “Catver”
After three years of close contact with people, beavers imitate human speech.
Cell phone dropped in water causes brain tumor in yearling.
Couple who got engaged at beaver dam seek divorce, blame otter.
Child sues city: “I want my Tile Back!”
Public Works declares “National beaver Day”
George Miller refuses to visit Martinez again unless he can see the beavers.
Council complains beaver ate staff’s wooden leg.
Beavers gnaw through first layer of sheetpile. Staff worries they will start on second.

Now that was fun! You should try your own. I can see it now, a National Inquirer for Beavers. Coming to a check-out line near you! In the meantime, know that it’s April Fools, our beavers are fine, I spent yesterday on the phone with a dixieland Jazz band that wants to play at the August 7th beaver festival, nailing some key research for the beaver prevalence paper, and may soon be able to announce a new sponsor for the event that makes, I am told, a dam fine wine!

Rotary Moraga and Beavers

heidi08 Beaver News, Beavers or Social Ambasadors, City Reports March 17, 2010

Yesterday I drove through the winding wilds of Moraga to my undergraduate campus of St. Mary’s where I gave a presentation on beavers and Worth A Dam to the Rotary club of Moraga. That’s Martinez, Pleasant Hill and Moraga where I’ve been a rotary guest, the third experience by far was the best. Great facilities, beavers on a huge (IMAX-huge!) screen, and very nice people. I emphasized creative solutions and the effect beavers had on the habitat, and the room was at full attention. There was a invitation to the Orinda Rotary club at the end, and some very appreciative promises to come see the beavers soon for themselves. I had a couple volunteers mention they would drop a line to the mayor to say how much they enjoyed the presentation. All in all, an excellent beaver lunch!

In the afternoon, there was this article in the Contra Costa times to delight in. Jennifer did a great job collecting quotes from Dimitry, our artists, Cheryl and myself. I missed the print copy though so if someone has it and wants to share I’d love to see what photos they ran. I was able to put Jennifer in touch with Jill Harcke who was able to track down the kids who drew tiles at John Muir Mountain Camp.

Annie Tejada, 11, featured a beaver clad in a baseball cap to reflect the Pleasant Hill resident’s affinity for the animal and love of the Great American pastime.

“Everybody put something that represented themselves on the beaver,” said the student at Strandwood Elementary. “They wanted to show their personality.”

Lindsey Marie opted to paint her tile featuring a beaver surrounded by hearts and a rainbow, while other artists wrote such uplifting messages as: “Help Me Help You” “Beavers Rock” and “Guess Which Beaver Stayed in School?”

It’s lovely writing. Cheryl took Jennifer all around the habitat and gave her the full view, so I think that helped softened her heart to our beavers. The only thing I’m not sure about was this:

One tile depicts a mom gently instructing her kit.

Jennifer Shaw: Beaver tiles installed on Escobar Street

I know exactly which tile she means, but our Director of Public Works looked at that same tile and said it was a Dad teaching his son how to build, and since it is the first charming thing I have heard him say about our beavers I’m inclined to protect it. Beavers are monomorphs, no external sex characteristics, so unless the artist tells us herself, we’ll never, never know.

State of the Beaver Conference: Update

heidi08 Beavers elsewhere, Beavers or Social Ambasadors, Creative Solutions March 16, 2010

Beaver Friend Leonard Houston, the chair of SURCP who worked tirelessly for this years “State of the beaver” conference in February, was so inspired by Brock’s description of the salmonid restoration conference he had to write a summary of his own. Here’s a little taste of the wonders he and the others brought to the beaver table.

State of the Beaver 2010, After Shock

The February 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th, State of the Beaver Conference hosted by the Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Indian Tribe , co-hosted by the South Umpqua Rural Community Partnership’s, Beaver Advocacy Committee and The Partnership for the Umpqua Rivers at the Seven Feathers Resort and Convention Center can be viewed as a tail splashing success.

From the Tribal welcome by Steven Rondeau of the Cow Creek Indians, to Leonard Houston of the Beaver Advocacy Committee’s opening speech, the conference took on a life of it’s own. Dr. John Hadidian, Director of the Urban Wildlife Program, of the Humane Society of the United States was first at the podium where he took us on a journey back in time, from early American beaver management to current human animal interactions. His presentation was not only inspiring but thought provoking as he challenges us to find non-lethal techniques to deal with beaver issues that we might enjoy beaver benefits.

Following Dr. Hadidian, from Norway, Dr. Duncan Halley of the Norwegian Institute of Nature Research took us to Europe where we learned of the beavers reconquest. Duncan taught us how conflicting human / human issues are more the forefront than human / animal issues.He also taught us how those issues have been resolved, allowing beaver reintroduction which has been successful throughout most of Europe. Dr. Halley spoke again as keynote presenter at the Beaver Banquet once again taking us world wide with human animal conflicts and the human resolutions in order to preserve wildlife and protect human interest.

Beavers and salmonid production was brought to life and light, by scientist Dr. Michael Pollock of NOAA. Michael is a well known research ecologist recognized as the foremost expert on west coast salmonid production and the relationship to beavers.Continuing the beaver, fisheries relationship, Jeff Rodgers accredited designer of the Oregon Coastal Coho Conservation Plan, appendix 3, and representing the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, beaver workgroup shared with us his research, and how beavers positively impact salmonid production.

Completing day one was Dr. DeWaine Jackson, of the ODFW presenting the Pilot Study of beaver translocation efforts here in the Umpqua Basin’s. DeWaine is the lead researcher for the entire project which encompasses both forks of the Umpqua.

Day two began with a new and exciting project utilizing a fish hatchery as a beaver nursery to hold captive beavers until family units are established before release. Kent Woodruff was kind enough to present this collaborative effort partnering agency and the Yakima Indian Tribe of the Okanagan Region of Washington.

Dr. Suzanne Fouty a fluvial geomorphologist showed us that beavers radically modify degraded stream systems, collecting sediment and recharging aquifers while elevating water tables. Her presentation was both scientific and passionate displaying a side of science seldom seen and richly rewarding.

Greg Jaclke an ODFW biologist then taught us of the past and present beaver management practices in the John Day River Basin in north central Oregon. Greg has an acute understanding of people and beavers with a promising future in beaver ecology.

Sherri Tippie of Wildlife 2000 then took us on a 24 year slide show of how she has moved over a thousand beavers. Sherri is a licensed beaver translocator by the state of Colorado and a true pioneer in beaver reintroduction.

Skip Lisle owner operator of Beaver Deceivers International then showed us how a wide array of his non-lethal management devices save beavers lives while allowing us to enjoy the many beaver benefits. Skip was another dual presenter hosting a four hour workshop on building and installing beaver deceivers and flow control devices. Skip was followed by Stephanie Boyles of the Humane Society of the United States on the cost and efficacy of Skips devices. Stephanie’s presentation showed how the state of Virginia hired Skip to install his devices in areas of beaver roadway conflict and how those installation and maintenance costs compared to prior costs associated with the same sites, it was nothing short of amazing.

Lewis Pence a retired Idaho Soil and Water Conservationist taught us how he used beavers to restore degraded streams in the high desert country of southern Idaho, his straight forward presentation was a visual confirmation of everything we had learned so far. Following the banquet to which we were welcomed by Sue Schafer of the Cow Creeks and featured Dr. Duncan Halley as keynote presenter, the conference quickly became a networking extravaganza.

Day three began with Mary O’Brien of the Grand Canyon Trust, outlining the new Utah statewide beaver management program. Mary is a former Oregon resident who is doing amazing things in the field of beaver ecology. Dr. Jimmy Taylor of the USDA, APHIS, Supervisory Research Biologist then presented on the current research programs and beaver management policies of APHIS and his own beaver management actions. Jimmy is a very forthright and honest scientist who is actively pursuing non-lethal management techniques to enable beavers and humans to exist harmoniously and beneficially.

Following Dr. Taylor, Leonard Houston of the Beaver Advocacy committee, then took us along with the BAC and ODFW releasing and following transmitterd beavers of the Tiller Beaver Research Project, it was a first time seen presentation showing us where beavers go and what beavers do after being relocated. Leonard’s presentation then focused on future beaver plans for the South Umpqua, Elk Creek, Salmon Recovery Restoration Project and how landowners are partnering with agencies to provide habitat and home for beavers.

Steven Rondeau , Natural Resource Director of the Cow Creeks then shared the spotlight with Lewis La Chance, Cultural Resource Director of the Cow Creeks. Lewis presented telling us of how the Cow Creeks held beavers in high esteem and of great cultural significance. Steven Rondeau then talked of perspective of life and beavers focusing on how his people had survived to regain their rights and how it was similar to the plight of the beaver. Steven teaches us that when faced with incredible challenges, we can prevail.

The State of the Beaver 2010 has not only served as a powerful educational tool it has brought about a unification of agency and activist, it has created a n opportunity to work together to create a new future, one in which man and beaver exist harmoniously.