Dam Status

Looks like we made the big leagues!

heidi08 Beavers, Educational, Environmental, featured, Festival August 7, 2013

Celebrating one of Nature’s Greatest Engineers: The Martinez Beaver Festival

As someone who works to get kids connected to nature and the outdoors, it was heartening to watch this group rush from one side of the bridge to the other to follow the swimming beaver, and shout in an enthusiastic voice usually reserved for a Justin Bieber sighting, “There he is!” And we adults were shouting right along with them.

Most of the “eager beaver” (sorry-I could not resist) watchers had attended the sixth annual Beaver Festival that afternoon in the area next to the creek affectionately known to locals as “Beaver Park.” Worth A Dam, the non-profit that hosts the event, assembled over forty area wildlife groups to help celebrate one of nature’s best engineers. A documentary film company, Tensegrity Productions, even filmed the festival for inclusion in their series, “The Beaver Believers.”

“We were amazed by the turnout, and heartened to see so many people interested in our resident beavers. Lots of people learned yesterday how beavers are good for creeks and wildlife,” said Heidi Perryman, President & Founder of Worth A Dam.

That’s right. The Martinez Beavers are National Wildlife Federation material now. Beth Pratt the author of one of the Wildlife Promise blogs came to the festival and stayed for the evening beaver viewing, where she was delighted by the behavior of both the beavers and the humans. You really should go read the whole thing. That’s the National Wildlife Federation. Wow! Wait until we make the calendar! I can’t think of a bigger compliment for all our hard work, but give me time. I’m sure I can up with something. She even made a movie of what she saw that night.

If you want another view of the day, check out the excellent photos from Ron Bruno who was helping his wife Lory with the silent auction. Enjoy!

Beaver lost and found.

heidi08 Beavers elsewhere, Creative Solutions, Environmental, Festival July 30, 2013

Hinterland Who’s Who beaver vignette found in CBC Archives

Two of four iconic mini-documentaries on Canada’s wildlife once feared lost have been recovered from the CBC Archives — the loon and the beaver.The Canadian Wildlife Service created the “Hinterland Who’s Who” series, which had its television premiere 50 years ago.

The National Film Board produced the public service announcements, but neither organization had copies of the original set. By chance, the footage had been saved by a former CBC employee, who donated the film cans to the archives.

No word yet on whether Canada has re-discovered the part of their brains that once understood these beavers were WORTH A DAM. But authorities are still hopeful.

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Awesome photo from flooding in Oklahoma. I expect all the rain folks are having won’t change any minds about the threat of global warming. Some were outraged that they weren’t rescued, but honestly, given the state in question, I’m just happy someone reached for the camera before someone had a chance to reach for their shot gun.

Nice photo posted yesterday by our Whitman filmcrew enjoying a chat with Sherri Tippie. They should be on the road again tomorrow towards Martinez!

Last day of work at the salt mines before the big day, and thank goodness because five folks emailed whether we would provide chairs even though they didn’t pay for them, the info sheets were ready from the printer, deliveries needed to be confirmed and channel 5 wanted an interview. I’m doing a last ditch presentation to Kiwanis Thursday mostly because we owe them for years of support and then dashing home to meet the folks from Whitman College.

Then its showtime.

Charming in every way

heidi08 Beavers, featured, Festival July 28, 2013

The charms for the Keystone Species Activity arrived yesterday, and they’re another amazing job from Mike Warner at Wildbryde. Beautiful and generous as there are extras of everything. Children can earn charms for free with the help of Safari West Junior Keepers, and our stalwart volunteer Erika will help put everything together and make it into a necklace at the linking station. Check out our new beaver and water drop design! This year we are taking pity on forlorn adults and letting them participate for a pittance of 10 dollars. I can’t wait to see visitors getting quizzed on why beaver matter. If you want to study ahead you can look here.

And as if that isn’t exciting enough, there are new splendors from our friends from Whitman college, this time with Sherri Tippie. They are heading for Martinez next and their podcast might be describing the festival and you!

When do I duck and cover?

heidi08 Beavers elsewhere, City Reports, Creative Solutions, Festival, Who's Killing Beavers Now? July 26, 2013

A week before the beaver festival, things are usually looking panicked. Often I’m scrambling to finish details, pick up tshirts, answer last minute questions or make changes to the program. Someone now needs two tables although they didn’t pay for even one, the bagpipe player has a cold and we need to find an alternative. The charms aren’t delivered and the John Muir site just found out they can’t loan the stage or someone irreplaceable has a family emergency and can’t make it that day.

But sometimes things just flow into this eddy of calm where everything is working out – in fact much, much better than we deserve. We have the attention we want, the attendees we want, the participants we want, and the volunteers we want. I get emails from San Francisco, Reno and Australia (true story) from folks wanting to come this year. Most of the preparations are finished, the brochures are back from the printer, three new donors suddenly agreed to be part of the silent auction and the weather looks perfect. All this satisfaction makes a nice Catholic girl like me very, very nervous.

Which should explain the graphic.

Never fear, we will cope with the grueling strain of success and march onward. And in the meantime you will enjoy this article about our beaver friends in Rhode Island, who I have been chatting with. Things are looking promising for a Martinez-style standoff and only the wind knows which direction it will blow.

Diamond Hill neighbors sign petition against filling park’s pond

Instead, according to spokesman Chris Ratcliffe of Fisher Road, the residents are asking for repairs to the pond that include a new pump to maintain the water level and a planned spray fountain to aerate the pond and help eliminate algae and mosquitoes.

About the beavers downstream from the pond, he suggests the animals offer a “unique educational opportunity for residents” while “adding to the overall natural character of the park.”

Cumberland’s Director of Parks & Recreation, Mike Crawley, took issues with some of the assumptions of the petition and told The Breeze this week that he wishes “people would ask more questions first.” About the beavers, Crawley says they have created a second hut downstream from the first and he’s expecting the growing family to begin intruding on residential land.

About the beavers, Crawley said, “We haven’t made a decision. We’re waiting to see how much damage they do downstream.”

Good luck R.I. on your beaver journey! And don’t hesitate to let us know if you need any advice. Now as for that piano…

Drawing upon experience

heidi08 Beavers elsewhere, Environmental, Festival, Friends of Martinez Beavers, Who's Killing Beavers Now? July 25, 2013

with mom — Kit and Mom: Photo Cheryl Reynolds

Jack Laws couldn’t make it last night, but lots of his colleagues did and they avidly listened to beaver tales while sketching their visit from the bridge. It was a fun way to see our creek through their eyes. Two folks from Safari West made the trek to Martinez as well and learned what to expect from the beaver festival next week. And two kits, mom and another adult made an appearance.

All in all a pretty delightful evening after a pleasant day following up on donations to the silent auction from friends and soon-to-be-friends. Finally some media interest and things are starting to look-ship shape around here.

Meanwhile there is still plenty of negative beaver news in the world but I can’t bring myself to write about it when we are so immersed in pursuit of cheery good will.

Le Sueur commissioners consider costs for beaver removal, OK road repairs

Destroying the dams doesn’t deter the beavers, said County Administrator Darrell Pettis, who added that the beavers return and quickly rebuild. The only way to get rid of the toothy creatures is to, well, get rid of them.

“It causes us problems, causes us damage,” he said. But perhaps the bigger problem is finding trappers to remove the beavers.

Good lord. Yet another administrator who’s never heard of flow devices. Some one write him and explain how they solve problems will you? Because I have a festival to organize.

Darrell Pettis

dpettis@co.le-sueur.mn.us

Le Sueur County Highway Department

88 South Park Ave.

Le Center, MN 56057

Phone(507) 357-2251