Category: Educational

Staying On-Beaver-Message

heidi08 Creative Solutions, Educational, Environmental October 12, 2013

This is Keenan, one of the students of the Semester in the West group who are working on the “Beaver Believer” documentary. He is editing some of the miles of footage they shot this year with beaver professionals around the country (including here in Martinez). Oh, look what they posted on Facebook he’s editing now. He even dressed for the occasion. Gosh, I hope he doesn’t take out all the swear words. It won’t be the same story without it.

Let’s be candid, and you may not be at all surprised. I am not the kind of person who does well with being edited. (Think of me like that plant that doesn’t blossom when pruned, but does best when completely ignored and left alone to grow in the sidewalk.) Because I forced myself to travel through the howling caves of graduate school I have learned to appear to cooperate with the process, but all I ever really manage is to “endure” it. I hate it when someone snips out one word or inserts another. Hate it when that red pencil slashes its way through my carefully planted word garden.

Learning that they were editing my footage yesterday was much, much more disturbing. Like being a recently sketched comic book character chased by a giant eraser. Keenan was very gallant, and said that I was so eloquent theren’t were very many “ums” or swear words to edit. But I can do the math. This is supposed to be a 30 minute documentary. And they filmed heavy weights like Mary O’brien, Suzanne Fouty, and Sherri Tippie. That leaves about 1.5 minutes for Heidi, half of which will be the beaver festival and 45 seconds will be of me talking.

And what pithy one liner did I manage in an hour interview that was worth including? I can’t imagine. You see my dilemma.

Well, I did ask for the cutting-room floor leftovers and Sarah the producer said no problem, so maybe I’ll find use for the bulk of the interview yet. In the meantime another very fun thing happened to take my mind off the digital amputation. A student from UCB contacted me when I was on vacation because she needed to do a paper for a class called “Environmental Problem Solving” and thought of the Martinez Beavers as her topic. Brita came yesterday for an interview with me and to meet some Worth A Dam folks while watching beavers on the footbridge.

Earlier she had been invited to the Alhambra Watershed Meeting and met Mitch Avalon and Igor Skaredoff from the beaver subcommittee. Now I love Igor and Mitch but the beavers made sure we were wayyy more interesting. She got to see all three kits, Junior and Mom before the uncle paid a visit. You could see that this particular term paper research was the most fun research she had ever done, and we filled her with beaver good news before she left. She is a senior finishing up a double major in the field and hoping to head to graduate School in the fall.

The future for beavers just got a little brighter.

ESPM 100 Environmental Problem Solving

Analysis of contrasting approaches to understanding and solving environmental and resource management problems. Case studies and hands-on problem solving that integrate concepts, principles, and practices from physical, biological, social, and economic disciplines. Their use in environmental policies and resource and management plans.

Don’t you just love that this class exists in the world? Let’s read the syllabus. There should be a whole section on beavers.

Rewilding with beavers

heidi08 Beavers elsewhere, Beavers or Social Ambasadors, Creative Solutions, Educational, Environmental October 6, 2013

Author J.B. MacKinnon argues for ‘rewilding:’ helping nature revive

J.B. MacKinnon’s new book, The Once And Future World, makes the case for rewilding – creating conditions that will support wildlife so animals and plants can thrive there again.

Now we talked about J.B. Mackinnon’s book back when I was just intrigued – but I had no idea it would be such a readable, riveting, treatise that was such an obvious secret gift to the beaver advocate. You should pick up your copy right away and get ready to look at every patch of land around you, and ever creature that lives there, or might live there, differently.

J.B. MacKinnon wants to get wild from The Tyee on Vimeo.

One of the passages I was most gripped by described our uniquely human response to extinction. We first insist that it will never happen, that it couldn’t happen, and that it hasn’t happened. (In fact up into the 1800’s it was a religious affront to even imagine that man could undo God’s handiwork.) Extinction wasn’t possible. And then once it was obvious we moved almost seamlessly into believing the animal in question NEVER EXISTED IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Just like beavers in the Sierras, or in coastal rivers, or Martinez for example.

The psychology of our understanding of the natural world has never made as much sense to me as it does after reading his book. I am incapable at looking at the urgency of the November 7, 2007 meeting as anything other than a community’sdesperate need to Rewild itself. Martinez should be a beacon on a hill for other cities to emulate, and our living, changing beaver ponds are a testament to renewal.

What can individuals in cities do to contribute to rewilding?

Rewilding really can be as straightforward as putting up a birdhouse. There are in all cities, and especially a place like Vancouver, organizations dedicated to ecological restoration. Also take some time to learn the history of nature and the historical ecology of this area because, when people do that, they almost always seem to find it absolutely fascinating to learn, for example, that there may have been California Condors flying over Burrard Inlet 250 years ago when the nearest California Condors are a thousand kilometres away in California today. The other thing individuals can do is actively reconnect with nature.

Or save some local beavers, for instance.

Speaking of saving beavers, Worth A Dam made a good impression at the 22 anniversary of Wild Birds Unlimited in Pleasant Hill. The awesome and retired Gary Bogue was there with his increasingly awesome replacement Joan Morris. There were displays from Mt. Diablo Audubon and Mike Marchiano the naturalist as well as a bald eagle from Native birds and those crazy beaver supporters from Martinez. Highlights of the day were conversations with very smart children who taught me what they knew about beavers. One scholarly boy of about 7 earnestly explained that he has seen in a nature program that beaver only eat the cambium layer underneath the bark. I was so impressed we high-fived loudly.

Another wistful little girl named Anna said that she had read in a book that beavers slap their tails when something is dangerous so that people will “come and help“.

To which I could only reply, “That’s right Anna, and sometimes people do.”

Watershed Cousins

heidi08 Educational, Environmental, Friends of Martinez Beavers October 5, 2013

Nice article on the return of river otters in Thursday’s Treehugger report with some awesome photos you will want to see for yourself. Here’s a taste to whet your appetite.

In Photos: River otters making a come back in California’s Bay Area

Last year and earlier in January we reported on a river otter in San Francisco that made headlines. Sutro Sam was the first otter spotted in the city in perhaps more than 50 years. But this temporary resident of the Sutro Baths ruins is just one member of the recovering river otter populations in the bay area. And he, along with his fellow otters, are a sign not only that the local efforts put into habitat restoration are paying off, but that focusing on coexisting with wildlife in general can bring back native species to an area.

I love otters and their recovery. Still, I don’t know about you, but when I think about the fatted-calf reception these cheer-inducing animals get in comparison to beavers I’m a little jealous. Otters are like your darling cousin who always monopolizes all the attention and gets away with things by flashing her big blue eyes. Well – brown. Never mind that beavers are steadfastly building and maintaining the dams that improve those freshwater fish to begin with. Basically making a buffet table for these starlets to eat and swim.

And speaking of the goodies at the buffet table, Tom Reynolds of Sonoma Audubon just posted this video on facebook. It’s a bittern munching on a crayfish. And considering how secretive these birds are it’s a fairly amazing glimpse at nature enjoying her bounty. Unfortunately I just realized that the privacy rules still apply so if you’re not “friends” with Tom you can’t see this. My advice to you is MAKE FRIENDS!

A moment in time

heidi08 Beavers, Creative Solutions, Educational, Environmental October 1, 2013

There are two reasons for which you should immediately buy a copy of this issue of Bay Nature Magazine. The first is this stunning cover photo by Steve Zamek of Feather Light photography. When I first saw it I thought it must have been taken underwater because how else would that fish be suspended in mid air? Then I realized that that merganser had speared the fish and was flipping it to swallow. It’s a hair’s breadth of a split second of a snapping shutter in time during which Steve had the presence of mind to catch this photo. The title “hooded merganser contemplating lunch — or a stickleback contemplating mortality ” endears him to me greatly.

Of course I immediately invited Mr. Zamek to come photograph beavers. I’ll let you know what happens.

The second reason to buy this issue of Bay Nature is the Letter to the editor by a certain familiar beaver supporter. I’ll give you just a taste:

I enjoyed Allessandra Berjamin’s article on the San Jose beavers, but was disappointed that the issue didn’t use the opportunity to highlight the impact of beavers on biodiversity. Daniel Mcglynn’s article on outmigtation of steelhead could have triggered a discussion of beaver benefit to salmonids in general. The issue has been so consistently demonstrated by NOAA that the Methow project in Washington relocates beavers for this purpose and houses them temporarily in unused fish hatcheries.

Ahh you know you want to read the rest. Go here to buy the issue or subscribe to the best inside look at Bay Area Nature and one of the last independent magazines in the country. And if your beaver persuasion needs to be a little more catchy, try this for size. I’d tell you the tune but I assume it’s going to be obvious.

Oh dear, turtles and frogs will die
Oh dear, there’ll be no fish to fry
Oh dear, Farmer John’s well will dry
Beavers are not in the creek.

They were here first, tell the trappers to pack and scram
They will need help so they move in and start a fam
Ponds team with life because beavers are Worth A Dam
Beavers belong in the creek.

Did you sing outloud? It totally works.

It’s always darkest just before the beaver dawn

heidi08 Beavers, Beavers elsewhere, Educational, Environmental, Who's Killing Beavers Now? September 29, 2013

[Annual Wildlife Control Issue] The Big ‘Fore’

FEATURES – ANNUAL WILDLIFE CONTROL ISSUE

Managing golf course wildlife — including whitetail deer, beavers, muskrats and Canada geese — is a tall order. Here are some tips from a nuisance wildlife control operator who is also a golf course grounds employee.

PCT tackles the big FORE. You know what PCT stands for don’t you? I’ll give you a hint. The first word is “PEST”. Can you guess the second? And the third is just to make it sound like there’s some kind of science to their killing pastime. Pest Control Technology. You know where there based, fight?

Ohio.

Beaver. The largest North American rodent possesses one of the most prized fur coats and, as a result, is highly regulated by the DNR. As with deer, nuisance beaver can be trapped during the regular trapping seasons, which are also in the fall/winter. But they also can be trapped outside those seasons with an additional DNR-issued permit. Beaver damage is usually very obvious even to the untrained eye. Flooding the fairway from a plugged drainage culvert is just the tip of the iceberg because they can chew through trees — which can cause fallen trees and flooding. Beaver are nocturnal with the ability to raise the water level 6 to 7 feet from blocking a single water source. I have stood up to my shoulders in water on a 2-foot diameter culvert pipe trying to pull out debris to bring the water level down to a level conducive for setting traps. Beaver lodges and dams generally will not occur in isolated ponds in the middle of the course because they are too wide open.

There are several methods for getting rid of nuisance beaver. Please note that in almost all cases nuisance beaver will have to be destroyed either by the trapper or the trap itself because there is really no where they can be taken where they won’t cause the same problem (and they are by no means endangered).

The first is shooting but the window of opportunity on any given day is about a half hour since they are nocturnal and you may only see them for about a hour before sunset. Trapping is the best method for removal. The first and probably the most popular beaver trap is the 330 Conibear. These traps are lethal, designed to break the neck and vertebrae for a very quick ending and are placed in the water in the main runways where beaver can swim through them. As you can imagine, these traps also can be dangerous to the user so if you have no experience with them, let a professional trapper handle a nuisance beaver situation.

Foot hold traps also can be used but the newest beaver trap is a cable restraint, which is simply a loop of airline cable placed in runways similar to the Conibear and then anchored to a nearby tree. Both the foothold and cable restraint are live traps so the captured beaver will have to be dispatched with a firearm. Make sure then the traps are checked early enough to be able to use a firearm.

Behold the nuanced stewardship mindset of the golf course trapper. Who with his “untrained eyes” can kill a path for you to put across the green. He has so many lethal options to chose from! And not one of them is humane. No mention of flow devices although installation requires the same willingness to get wet and watch beaver behavior. Still, putting in a flow device has the gruesome drawback of actually FIXING the problem. Whereas trapping will need to be paid for again and again. They’re no fools.

Of course they chose trapping. They have boat payments and mouths to feed.

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And maybe I was too hard on Illinois yesterday. Check out this throwaway line from the activities at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

“Animal Secrets” at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum is a new exhibit that attempts to bring children and nature together, with 5,000 square feet of Illinois animal habitats for kids to explore — indoors. The exhibit re-creates the natural environments of a stream, a cave, the woods and a meadow. So while the- children are building a beaver dam in the stream, parents gain ideas and messages they can apply in their daily lives, especially the idea that we all need to connect with nature more.

Building a beaver dam in the stream? How much fun would THAT be at a beaver festival?