Category: City Reports

Together Forever

heidi08 Beavers or Social Ambasadors, City Reports, Friends of Martinez Beavers, Why We Care September 17, 2010

Let’s review. Nearly three months ago our mother beaver died. There were outpourings of support for her and the three kits she left behind. Worth A Dam wanted some kind of memorial to her remarkable life and approached local artist and UCD professor Paul Craig. Paul is an old friend of the beavers and was thinking of them when he designed the metal beavers for the library sculpture. Paul said he would happily make a mother and some kits if we could get him some silhouettes to work from.

Chapter two. I contacted the recently graduated but-as-yet-unemployed graphic artist (Libby Corliss) who designed our brochure and map and asked her for help. She said she could easily turn photos into silhouettes if we could find the right photos. Three of cheryl’s pictures did the trick, and for the fourth we filled in the drawing of our logo beaver generously donated by another graphic artist, Kiriko Moth. Paul quicky produced the metal pieces and we marched down to the city council meeting to ask permission to hang them.

Chapter three. In a down-the-rabbit-hole twist of fate we were given full approval and gratitude, told to go ahead and display them on the sheetpile wall, and to work with city staff who would help us get it done. I later met with Bob Cellini and gave him the beavers and talked about where they might work. I was surprised to learn that Bob does similar metal cuttings and has been meaning to get around to making one for his wife to display in the garden. I first met Bob in 2007 after the subcommittee had been formed but before Skip had installed the flow device. Staff had made the decision to take down the dam by a foot during the interim month before he could get here. I was standing at the bridge when he was reviewing the job and introduced himself mournfully as the man who was going to do the ‘dastardly deed’. I immediately liked him for that. I liked him even more when he said that the binder of articles I had distributed at the first subcommittee meeting was in the staff room and had become the ‘beaver bible’.

Chapter four. So tuesday I got an email from Bob that the beavers were ready to be installed and he had invited the Contra Costa Times photographer for the ‘unveiling’. When Lory got there thursday morning this is what she saw,

With the drop cloth removed, this was the display. Bob made the frame and arranged the beavers in it. Don’t they look happy together?

I was worried that they’d be spread apart or scattered, but I love this family grouping which clearly shows mom taking care of them. Obsessed beaver fans like myself will no-doubt note that the notch in mom’s tail is on the wrong side, because the metal has been reversed. Never mind. I like her approaching the bridge, almost as if she’s coming to ask us for something. I am incapable of avoiding the thought that she’s bringing the kits to meet us and asking us to take care of them when she goes.

I am so grateful for everyone’s help in pulling this together. I love the idea that somewhere on a sheetpile wall, mom beaver and her last three kits will be together forever.

Beavers in Sonoma!

heidi08 Burrowing Owls, City Reports, Educational, Environmental, Friends of Martinez Beavers September 15, 2010

Our good friend Susan Kirks writes the following about Cheryl’s recent Sonoma re-discovery. (Go click on the link please so she gets full credit for her smart work.) Turns out that Sonoma is well aware of these beavers, and wants to take this chance to learn more about the animals. Tom Rusert of Birding Sonoma Valley (who just did an amazing job helping raise awareness with the Burrowing Owl Consortium that is near and dear to our friend Scott’s Artis heart) is working on this years Valley of the Moon Nature lectures and is interested in having me to come talk about beavers. He knows Cheryl because he sometimes picks up extra birds from IBRRC, and is very excited to teach about the relationship between birds and beavers! Think for just a moment about the important connections these beavers are making in the world….Susan-Scott-Tom-Cheryl…I’m thinking that’s the best way to encourage new advocates for these Sonoma beavers is to talk first hand about their impact on our urban creek. I’d be thrilled to do a little wine country, Jack-London trip that benefits all our friends. (No sacrifice too great…) Speaking of which my parents were having lunch in Calistoga last year, wearing their Worth A Dam shirts and met two other people wearing the same shirt! Small world about to get smaller!

Beavers in Sonoma!

by Open.Spaces

While we in Petaluma await in-depth information regarding the recent Petaluma River oil spill and cleanup, there’s good news to report about fresh water happenings in nearby Sonoma.

Cheryl Reynolds of the Martinez Beavers protection nonprofit, Worth a Dam, recently visited Sonoma, following up on beaver dams she’d observed a couple of years ago. She discovered 3 dams in Sonoma Creek, constructed by the efficient beaver engineers.

The Sonoma Beavers are using both rocks and sticks to build their dams.

Unlike human constructed impervious dams, some benefits of the naturally engineered beaver dam include creation of wetlands through natural water backup, supporting key habitat for other species, and slow filtering through the wetlands of environmental contaminants (Wild Neighbors, John Hadidian, Humane Society of the United States 2007).

Experience of the Martinez Beavers group in installing a water flow control device in Alhambra Creek awaits if ever needed in Sonoma Creek. Meanwhile, the Beaver, an herbivore eating mostly bark, twigs, roots, leaves and aquatic plants (Natl. Geographic), is busy as can be in Sonoma.

Thanks so much Susan for your beautiful nod to flow devices. Well timed! We appreciate your steady friendship more than we can say!

As if all that isn’t exciting enough, I heard yesterday from Bob Cellini that they are planning the mom memorial installation for Thursday at ten. The Contra Costa Times and Gazette are coming to photograph and Paul Craig’s lovely metal beavers will soon grace the sheetpile. We are thrilled about the development, and you’ll just have to go see it for yourself soon.

Carrying Capacity: Missouri Beavers

heidi08 Beavers elsewhere, City Reports, Creative Solutions, Environmental, Who's Killing Beavers Now? December 16, 2017

In simple terms, carrying capacity is the number of individual species an environment can support without significant negative impacts to other living things and/or the environment. When it happens, and we as people get to make the judgments, Todd types suggest “decreases” to put everything back in balance.

Columnist: Gene Fox

Is there a carrying capacity for humans? I’m just asking. Outdoor columnist In a similar way that some people are taken in by the “Bambi Myth,” there are those who mistakenly have a “Walden Pond Illusion” of the beaver, which has become urbanized. But the carrying capacity formula is non-emotional, science.

Is there even a Bambi myth? Gosh, I can’t really think of one. Man is bad?

I suppose Gene is implying that the sweet beautiful drawings of the cartoon character ignore the fact that deer chew our plants and disturb our traffic patterns by getting hit by cars and maybe even start fires like bambi’s dad. Or something. He invokes the sportsman-repellent properties of Walden Pond to appeal to the reader’s logic. I suppose what he means to say is that if you have compassion for animals you aren’t rational, and nobody should listen to you anyway.

He goes on to say that ‘science’ supports a habit-forming dependence on trappers like the hero described in his article, Todd Meese. Todd is given the impressive qualifications of a ‘damage wildlife biologist’ which sounds as close to a toolbox full of hammers as we are likely to find. (I guess that explains why beavers all look like nails.)

A day or two after the visit, I got a report that two beavers, one 65 pounds and the other 45, had been removed.

Just to be clear, by “removed” he means “killed” – don’t want to be too ‘Bambi’ about this. Looking at the weights I would say he trapped an adult and a yearling. It’s late summer so the colony probably has kits, which he obviously didn’t get. Let’s hope there are some family members left to take care of the young so he can come back next summer and do all it again – and the summer after that, and so on – all those child support checks won’t write themselves.

And quite candidly, a big reason the furbearers have gotten a disproportionate foothold on our turf over the last decade is because trapping has gone out of favor. Less social acceptance, less money in the business. Of course, as population density increases, birth rate will decrease eventually because the death rate will typically increase because of either disease or lack of habitat/food. Or beavers will move into our backyards through the waste water systems.

Through our wastewater systems? You mean like those pale alligators in the New York Sewer System? Ohh, you mean culverts and drains, all the little waterways that we have co-opted with concrete to become our storm systems. It’s funny how that works, we turn these natural structures into the most unnatural devices and are furious when nature keeps being – well – natural. Like the beavers in Alhambra Creek. Did you ever hear about them? It’s a great story I’ll tell you sometime.

Ok Gene, here’s some science from the Bambi faction. Beavers are a keystone species so every single colony in that housing tract on 291 increases the bird, fish, and wildlife population of the area. Beavers improve water quality, raise the water table and increase valuable wetlands. Don’t you have some sportsmen in Missouri? Beaver ponds increase important game species like wood duck and trout. In fact there isn’t a single thing you could add to your waterways that would do more to help increase the carrying capacity of the area.

It’s possible you’re not as interested in science when it disconfirms your beliefs. Okay, let’s talk dollars then. There are proven effective and inexpensive tools for managing beavers that offer long-term solutions and will save tax-payer dollars. Beaver Deceivers and Flow Devices will control most any waterway problems and allow the habitat to remain. Wire wrapping or sand-painting of trees will protect property and everyone can benefit from the safe wetlands that beavers create.

If Missouri’s biggest problem really IS the beaver, its because the entire state is using the wrong tools. Instead of encouraging more people to use more hammers, it might be a good idea to introduce a few wrenches and some pliers.

Children + Beavers = Civic Art

heidi08 Beaver News, Beavers or Social Ambasadors, City Reports, Educational, Environmental, featured September 3, 2010

Children’s Mural Available for Display

Worth A Dam is proud to present the children’s Mural for Alhambra Creek. This colorful and engaging diptych piece was created by a hundred young artists at Beaver Festival III in downtown Martinez and is now available for loaned display. FROgard, of the East Bay Artists Guild, painted the background with help from Randy Stansberry, based on graphic artist Libby Corliss creek map for the area. FRO provided guidance, instruction and a little judicious editing to help the mural come to life.

Each segment is 36″ x 48″and the pair should be hung in tandem. Imaginations were allowed to flourish letting each child share his or her own vision for the beaver habitat: a close look at the artwork shows that in addition to the green heron, baby ducks and beaver family, there is even a pirate beaver with a “hook” claw! One pragmatic child painted a golf bag with a ‘hole in one’ just in case dad would like to play a few rounds at the Beaver Park.

The hidden treasure of Martinez, CA is revealed not just its famous beavers but also in the delightful and caring children that respect Alhambra Creek and its wildlife. Funds and materials for this mural were donated by generous supporters and it is the hope of the children, the artists, and Worth A Dam that it will be seen around the downtown area in Martinez, inspiring each of us to see the wild beauty of the world around them.

If you would like to display the mural in your office, foyey, stairwell or gallery, contact Heidi Perryman at (925) 283-4499 to make arrangements.

This notice went out as of 3:00 pm Wednesday.As of 9 pm last night we already had expressed interest from the superintendent of schools, the Contra Costa Bar Association, and Superior Court. Worth A Dam is feeling like Scarlet at the ball! Thanks FRO and Randy for your outstanding work on this project. Thanks Mitch Wagner (long time hero of another very famous beaver case) for the generous donation. Worth A Dam promises never to let generous donations go to waste!

License to Kill (Easier)

heidi08 Beaver Behavior, Beaver News, Beavers elsewhere, City Reports, Creative Solutions, Massachusetts Trapping Law, Who's Killing Beavers Now? October 24, 2010

Out in Massachusetts the disgruntled folk from the Committee for Resposible Wildlife Management are headed to a lazy man’s victory. The bill making it easier to circumvent humane standards for killing beavers has been approved by the governor and is in its final stages before passage. Just remember, where beavers are concerned the problems rarely have anything to do with reason. (Martinez knows that fairly well through first hand experience.) The original law requiring humane traps passed in the commonwealth back in 1996. It included a list of 9 lengthy exceptions to the rule under which traditional trapping could still be used. At that time, Clinton was president, the economy was booming, and everybody knew somebody that was doing a start-up.

I guess times really do change.