Beavers or Social Ambasadors – Page 31

Ohhh what a day!

heidi08 Beaver News, Beavers or Social Ambasadors, Creative Solutions, Creek Seekers Poetry Contest, Earth Day, Educational, Environmental April 19, 2009

Our build a beaver activity was enormously popular, and more than 100 children sat down with Fro to add something to our beaver habitat. Here’s some initial photos.

We sold 163 raffle tickets to the Creek Seeker’s Express, talked to many new and returning friends, and had made some nice contacts along the way. My guided beaver tours were snatched up at auction, and every wanted to know when we’ll have tshirts for sale. Gary Bogue stopped by to say hi and meet the folk, and State Senator DeSaulnier stayed for a much needed conversation about his missing barn owls. Thank you to all of worth a dam who stayed through the heat and crowds and helped sell tickets, spread the beaver gospel and keep everyone enthusiastic.

Leave only Footprints…

heidi08 Beavers or Social Ambasadors, pictures March 17, 2009

Take only photographs.

Recognize these? This is the front footprint of a beaver, photographed by Cheryl Reynolds in Sonoma where the beavers were wreaking havoc a while back. Look at those wide splayed toes, almost human, and think about those front paws which can grasp and hold things. Our habitat isn’t ideal for footprints, but we occasionally see some in the mud.

Once I was told the dynamic story of Mary Leakey’s lecture on footprints discovered leaving the site of the Sadiman Volcano 3.6 million years ago which was spewing ash at the time. The footprints of a smaller female appeared to turn back for a while, then resume the exodus, and Dr. Leakey speculated that this was the first known evidence of human hesitation, meaning that the human brain had advanced already to such a state as to weigh opposing factors and consider the best options.

These footprints, of course, do not suggest hesitation to me. They say “direction”. Here’s a drawing to help you identify your own tracks.

I also thought I would share the nice thank you Igor and I got from the Sierra Club on our talk last Wednesday. I appreciated her letter so much I forwarded it onto the council.

Thanks so much for coming out to Antioch for the Delta Group Sierra Club meeting to tell us about the beaver colony in Alhambra Creek. I suppose that beavers in creeks are considered “normal” — but as anyone can see, the beavers in downtown Martinez are truly “special”! Their location is a unique opportunity to study beavers, and at the same time, to monitor the health and stability of an urban creek system.

I think the City of Martinez is very fortunate to have citizen like you willing to volunteer your time to help with the sensitive issue of maintaining the health and survival of both Alhambra Creek and the beaver colony, within the structure of a downtown business area.

The powerpoint program on the Alhambra Creek watershed, together with photos and videos of beaver activity, are a winning argument in favor of having a beaver presence in the middle of the city. I have seen for myself the awakening of interest and pride of “possession” for people who drop in to view the beavers at work. A great asset for the city, and hopefully, with continuing help from your groups, the beavers can continue to thrive as “city” beavers.

Thanks again for joining us on March 12 to share scenes of busy beaver family life in downtown Martinez.

Janess Hanson
Secretary, Delta Group
Sierra Club

Beaver Coat-Tails?

heidi08 Beavers or Social Ambasadors, Environmental January 6, 2009

Check out this invite to particpate in the East Bay Regional Parks Trails Challenge.

The Martinez beavers have garnered more fame, but there are beavers at Big Break, too. Big Break Regional Shoreline in Oakley will be the venue for a couple of nature programs this weekend and next. This Sunday, naturalist Mike Moran will lead a walk there from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. to look for waterfowl and signs of our broad-tailed, bucktoothed, tree-felling friends, nature’s civil engineers. The program is free of charge, but reservations are necessary. Phone 1-888-327-2757, select option 2, then 3 and refer to program 20170. Mike’s program repeats on Feb. 22 as program 20171.

Kind of nice to see our beavers being used to help other colonies, and a relief to have beavers in Oakley that aren’t routinely killed, which I know happens without any reporters. I haven’t had any contact with Mike Moran, but that would be a great relationship to cultivate. If you’re an interested beaver supporter why not join in and make the introductions?

It’s a beaver, beaver world…

heidi08 Beavers, Beavers or Social Ambasadors, Friends of Martinez Beavers December 24, 2008

So last night a few bundled beaver loyalists trotted down to the dam to watch for our furry friends. It was warmer than it had been, and not raining yet. Our efforts were not disappointed. Kit by kit made its aquatic appearance, three in all. I don’t know if you have noticed there is a haybail in the water. It was on the sheetpile side, but made its way over near the dam recently. How exactly did a haybail get in there? Best guess is that it was tossed in during the “snow event” downtown, when they used them on the borders. Lets just hope it wasn’t tossed at something.

(As if our beavers didn’t have enough to worry about with metal and netting. They have less room to swim at the moment and don’t need a huge haybail taking up their legroom. Of course it is water logged and impossibly heavy now, although two good men with waders could probably get it onto the bank.) The beavers had a few ideas of their own. One kit started biting off flakes and carrying them away to the lodge. Packing material? Or natural flooring?

The highlight came when our bravest kit scrambled up the side of the bail and struck a pose atop it, sniffing around and enjoying the new view. I cursed myself for not having a camera, but it looked kind of like this:

Next the large yearling approached who came up onto the dam for a full viewing, and finally the small yearling slunk over the gap in the shadows. For a magic moment there were 5 beavers visible in the water at once, and the traffic jam made for two tail slaps and some lovely mewing noises.

Not to be outdone, a muskrat made an appearance, and a rat of the more mundane variety swam by like Ester Williams with a tail. (What’s up with our rats being such good swimmers and divers anyway? Someone needs to do a research project).

When you hang up your stockings tonight, remember what our beavers want for Christmas!

[youtube:http://youtube.com/watch?v=SDYFKkR6GiY]

VOTE VOTE VOTE

heidi08 Beavers or Social Ambasadors November 4, 2008

UPDATE: BEAVERS RIGHT AGAIN!

[youtube:http://youtube.com/watch?v=f_MfD_ZKMTo]

The beavers asked me to remind you to vote. They are busy with some primary dam repairs from yesterday’s rain or they would do it themselves. Also they asked me to thank Hess for the construction of the “secondary dam relief valve” which worked perfectly yesterday. Water rushed over the baffle and around the secondary dam (even through their little starter tunnel underneath), filled up the scraped plane and then poured back into the creek through the downstream opening. A perfect dam bypass.

Vote Vote Vote