UP CLOSE WITH PATTI SMITH: A NEW FILM

heidi08 Beavers October 10, 2022

I’m sure you remember Suzanne Husky is the high-power French American Artist who has become a huge beaver believer and borrowed a bunch of our artifacts for the opening of a show in LA. Well she’s been working with a film crew and just released this feature on our very beloved Patti Smith. Remember Patti is the beaver believer who wrote the Beavers of Popples Pond and several very charming articles in the Battleboro Informer. I don’t care you busy you are. I don’t think you’re going to want to miss this.

Once again I am forbidden from embedding it here. Click on the photo to go watch the entire enchanting thing on youtube. And your welcome.

BEAVERS IN THE WP: AND IT’S JUST RIGHT

Yes beavers have been getting a good news cycle for a while and yes it’s nice to finally read positive things about them after pushing this pony cart for sooo many years, but honestly the recent influx of news has left me a little unsatisfied. Whether it’s been saying beavers live in the dam or that they look like nutria or mixing up the story in Martinez, I’ve been like Goldilocks hopping from one bowl of cold oatmeal to one stiff chair and one short bed to the next. It’s all too little or too hard or too just too damn full of spiders.

Until Now.

Beavers offer natural solution to fighting wildfires

When Smokey Bear says, “Only YOU can prevent forest fires,” he’s talking to humans. But humans aren’t the only ones who can help. Beavers, North America’s largest rodents, are succeeding at fighting fires and reducing wildfire destruction.

It’s common sense. Water, soggy ground and well-hydrated vegetation reduce fire’s ability to spread.

Beavers create deep ponds by building dams, then dig fingerlike canals to slowly spread that water throughout the flood plain. The stream’s reduced speed allows collected water to seep into the ground where it encourages deep plant roots and an abundance of wildlife to thrive.

Beavers’ water highways are not for our benefit, but theirs. The canals allow them to quickly escape predators. The water also lets them float logs and branches needed for food and construction projects.

Of course, beavers don’t know they are also creating very effective firebreaks, or obstacles to the spreading of fire. But scientists are taking notice.

Oh my goodness. My favorite topic written by a true beaver friend and written about a true beaver friend! Of course I had to check the byline. Ann Cameron Siegal has been a beaver buddy since Obama was president. A long time ago I saw one of her photos in the post and was so enamored I tracked her down like a dog (as have done every other friend of this website) and we’ve cooresponded ever since. She donated to the festival. We’re friends on facebook. Where we’re are probably the only California liberal and tea party friends in the entire world. But beavers. It’s for BEAVERS. With beavers all things are possible.

Emily Fairfax is a California-based ecohydrologist, that’s someone who studies how water interacts with soil and living things. She wondered whether beaver-created wetlands could survive huge wildfires, reducing the devastating damage done to large areas of land.

Fighting wildfires is a greater test of endurance as season gets longer

Scientists need data to convince others to consider workable solutions to problems such as rising average temperatures and drought.

“We used Google Earth to identify and map beaver dams and channels within fire perimeters,” Fairfax said.

By studying years of aerial photographs from five Western states where major wildfires and droughts occurred, her team showed that beavers create broad underground irrigation systems, decreasing erosion and soil loss. Most important, large beaver wetlands were still green and healthy after a fire

I am beaming. This was published in the “Kids section” of the WP because the world isn’t totally sure whether to take beavers seriously or not. But that suits me just fine. Kids are smart. They know why beavers matter.

“Areas without beavers averaged three times more damage than those with beavers,” Fairfax said. “Where you don’t have beavers or rain, plants dry out and become crispy fuel for fires.” Where beavers were allowed to do their thing, the wetlands also became lifesaving oases for wildlife that couldn’t “out fly, out swim or out waddle the flames.”

But what if there are no beavers in an area?

Many places prohibit the relocation of beavers, so an alternative is to create a beaver-friendly habitat through basic stream restoration before an environmental crisis occurs. Using local, natural materials such as logs to build man-made starter dams can increase water depth, creating conditions that encourage beavers to move in and take over maintenance of the dams while expanding the wetland habitat.

Beavers aren’t always wanted in an area because humans want to adapt the landscape to fit their needs, draining wetlands and building houses in floodplains.

Fortunately, there are many tools for flood control and tree protection to make coexisting with beavers easier for landowners. After identifying fire-prone areas, communities can reduce a fire’s capacity to become an extreme event by taking advantage of beavers’ low-tech, natural and free engineering abilities.

Fairfax said her original hypothesis shifted from “where can this happen” to “is there anywhere where this cannot happen?”

“The more rivers and streams you have in healthy conditions,” she said, “the more fire resistant a region will be.

I’ll tell you what. If there are no beavers in the area that area is suffering. Worst than drought. Worst than biodiversity crisis. Beaver shortage is the worst kind of shortage the land suffers. And we made it ourselves. Many times. We nearly made it in Martinez. We are living through it now.

Many forest fires are inevitable and necessary to clear out overgrown vegetation and replenish soil nutrients. Beavers are protecting sensitive ecosystems that don’t need intense fire as much.
Beavers don’t kill all the trees in an area. They selectively use logs and branches to create the wetlands that increase biodiversity for wildlife and vegetation. When they chew their favorite trees — aspen, willow, cottonwood, among others — those trees usually grow back stronger and healthier afterward.
By slowing, spreading and storing water, beaver dams increase drought resistance and downstream water quality. Several research projects are underway to measure how effective beaver structures are in filtering out contaminants, ash and sediment, particularly after a wildfire.
Beavers are herbivores or plant eaters. Twigs, grasses, leaves, bark and aquatic plants are on their menu, as is the soft inner-layer of bark, called cambium. They don’t eat fish but create fish-friendly habitats. Otters eat fish, so that may account for some of the confusion as otters and beavers often share habitats.

And on the seventh day, she rested. Whatever wonders the world has given me in my 57 years this is going to stay near the top. That for one day in one major newspaper in one country that all the other papers read I got exactly what I wanted. There were no nutrias, no beavers eating fish, and no living in the dam.

Thanks to Ann, Emily and beavers.

Now can we talk about flow devices?

BEAVERS AND WOLVES ON FEDERAL LANDS

heidi08 Attitudes towards beavers, Beaver ecological impact, Beavers October 4, 2022

The argument for more wolves and beavers on federal lands is picking up steam. I think we’re going to be hearing more of it, just like we had a chorus of hearing more and more about beavers and climate change. Works for me. There are lots of reasons beavers can help federal lands and I’m sure wolves can help them do it by keeping all those deer and elk away from the willow.

Wolves and beavers may be the key to restoring ecosystems in the American West

A beaver swims in the forest near Puerto Williams, Chile on February 05, 2020. (Photo by PABLO COZZAGLIO/AFP via Getty Images)

Scientists have a plan to help restore wildlife habitat in the American West by moving grazing livestock off public lands and reintroducing two controversial species: wolves and beavers.

In a recent study published in the journal Bioscience, ecologists and biologists focus on what they call the Western Rewilding Network — 500,000 acres of federal public lands spread across 11 Western states. The plan is a response to the Biden administration’s call to conserve 30% of American lands and waters by 2030.

Ecologist George Wuerthner, executive director of Public Lands Media, co-authored the study and says the plan aims to address a significant loss of biodiversity in the U.S. by protecting the species’ habitats. The plan also provides a cost-effective way to store carbon in soil that can address extreme weather events like wildfires in the West, hurricanes back East and melting ice in the Arctic.

Listen to the short report. This sounds like a real thing that might really happen. At least in some states. The spokesman George seems less than accustomed to banging the beaver drum. He doesn’t even mention fire. Or say anything about the fact that many ranchers rely on beavers to make forage for their herds. But he’s got the carbon part down and the biodiversity and water benefits. And that will do to start.

Oh and the photo (which looks a lot like ours) that is actually a beaver and not a nutria for a change. Obviously in close range because it was taken in CHILE. That’s kinda amusing and hints at the welcome these new beavers are likely to get along the way.

IT WAS THE BEST OF TIMES, AND IT WAS THE WORST OF TIMES…

heidi08 Attitudes towards beavers, Beavers, Who's Killing Beavers Now? October 2, 2022

The rose-colored beaver glasses of late September have withered to a much more fullsome beaver picture. Mostly the superheroes are still regarded as pests. But sometimes a few folk still rally for them. Go figure.

This was an admirable letter on their behalf from Canada.

Letter: City of Airdrie shouldn’t kill its beavers

Nose Creek starts by Crossfield and flows to the Bow River with a watershed of 989 KM2. It flows through Airdrie and it was a small prairie creek. The City of Airdrie put in several dams creating some beautiful ponds that any beaver family would be proud of. As the story goes “if you build it, they will come” and come they did.

We live in Waterstone on the creek and love watching all the people and wildlife who enjoy the path and waterway. The pond was built and the beaver came and were welcomed, building a lodge and raised countless families over the years.

But this wonder of nature comes at a cost. As well all know, beavers eat bark. So we lose a tree or two each year – especially in the fall, when they put up a winter supply of food to get through until the spring.

Now, this is not a natural pond or a habitat for beavers, as there is no forest for them. Yet the pond is there and they do live there, much to the enjoyment of many who stop to watch them on a summer’s evening.

Two years ago, the City of Airdrie’s parks officials decided to kill them. But the shock of local residents got them to stop this and they decided to give a shot at being good stewards. Wire fencing went up around the trees to limit the food source. The beavers did just fine, raising more families and entertaining the park goers.

Well that certainly sounds promising. Wrapping trees with wire is good business for people who know that beavers are busy making habitat for all the wildlife. Maybe if you added a couple weekends where the community plants willow stakes you’d be in business.

Yes, they did eat a tree or two each year and the City planted trees but not the kind that beaver need. Now one could say that was poorly thought out. And maybe, we could live in harmony with the beaver and plant something they needed and are beautiful to watch grow like a Brooks No. 6 Poplar. This poplar grows very fast, has no white fluff like a cottonwood, and grows huge in 30 years. The park has a lot of space for this food source. But you would have to be good stewards, keep them from falling where you don’t want them to, and take the wire off a couple old trees each year.

But no, being a good steward and living in harmony with wildlife is too hard. “Let’s just kill them” and hope they don’t come back. And if they do, we’ll just keep killing them.

Does that sound like a good steward and a society you want to raise your family around? The beavers keep trying in hopes that we will find better stewards for our community.

Everyone should know that the very best time to plant a tree was 30 years ago. The next best time to plant is today.

Good advice for the city. But take it yourselves. Get a community organization to take it on. Organize a weekend of planting willow cuttings or fascines. Get the city to approve it, put a boy or girl scout in charge. Call the media and get some adorable photos of children digging holes run on the evening news, ‘

This is all doable. You are the change you’ve been waiting for.

Now onto the worst of times in Ohio where killing beavers is sooo much fun they have to hold a lottery to find out who gets the privilege.

Lottery for river otter, beaver trapping is Oct. 8

COLUMBUS — Beaver and river otter trapping permits on managed areas for the 2022-23 season will be issued via in-person lotteries Oct. 8, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife.

A permit is required to trap beaver and river otter on state-managed areas, including wildlife areas, state parks and state forests. A complete list of available trapping permits is available on the Controlled Hunting Access Lotteries page at wildohio.gov.

Drawings will occur at noon at each division of wildlife district office. Office locations can be found at wildohio.gov. Each permittee may select one partner to accompany them for the duration of the season. Beaver and river otter trapping lotteries are grouped by region; trappers may apply in only one district (central, northeast, northwest, southeast, southwest). Beaver and river otter trapping permits are valid from Dec. 26 to Feb. 28, 2023.

Seriously? The trap allows you to kill beavers and otters in state parks? What if you decided that hey people like to SEE wildlife in the park when they visit. What if you DIDN’T kill them? Hmm now we just need a couple undercover PETA members to show up to those offices and win the raffles. Doesn’t sound to hard does it?

Good lord. Surviving in this world with redevelopment and traffic and fires and destroyed trees is ALREADY a lottery. Stop making their lives more difficult.