Once Upon A Time…

heidi08 Festival, Friends of Martinez Beavers July 22, 2011

A very talented man with a love of the natural world decided to turn the beautiful things he photographed into jewelry. He named his business Wild Bryde, and like any new bride, he made sure she was treated lavishly. .His lovely designs were regularly sold at wildlife and nature stores around the bay area, which is how we eventually connected. In 2009 he joined us for the beaver festival.

Mike was a big hit at the festival, but he doesn’t usually do many events. Too bad for wildlife lovers everywhere, I’m fairly certain that he sold every single pair he had of these:

Last year Worth A Dam launched the Keystone Species Charm bracelet activity with help from a private donor. Lucky for us because it turned out the president of Kiwanis was in a booth directly opposite ours at the Flyway Fiesta Girl Scout Event where we first tried the activity. This allowed the president to see first-hand how enormously popular the event was and helped us get funding to repeat it at last year’s festival. The idea is that children “earn” charms for the bracelet by learning how beavers affect different aspects of the environment. This allows kids to understand pretty complex concepts of habitat and ecosystem, and gives them a beautiful reminder to remember or explain to their friends or parents.

The first year we bought charms from a bead store in Seattle. They looked like this. I spent a lot of effort begging the bead store to donate a little to our effort, which I assumed was in their interest to do since at least three other organizations liked the idea so much they decided to try the activity as well. Alas, even though I was clearly the best customer for animal charms they were ever likely to have, they declined my invitation to sponser us. I hate to be refused. That got me thinking.

When I talked with Mike about joining us for this year’s festival I complained a little about the stingy shop in Seattle and Mike said, hmm, take a look at these. I make custom designs and I bet we could figure out what you need. We might even get the suppliers to donate a little. That way you can pick exactly what you want and make your project unique.

I spent hours and hours pouring through Mike’s amazing creations. I was a little scared to think about what might be possible in case it didn’t work out. I gave him some draft images and he worked out some remarkable choices and I crossed my fingers to see if it could happen. Guess what came in the mail yesterday?

120 each of nine charms, designed and cut by Mike Warner and paid for by Martinez Kiwanis. The activity will be free for children while supplies last. If you have a daughter or grandchild I would definitely bring them along to make one of these. For adults who simply can’t resist there will be a materials fee of 10 dollars. I wouldn’t wait.

Thank you SO much Mike! I love them all, but can you guess what one is my very most favorite? Does this shape remind you of anyone?In case you want to study ahead, this is what we’ll be asking children to explain to the various booths that will have each charm. Who wants to invite Fish & Game?

Oh and turn on channel 28 at 10 or six today, because the beaver festival promotion will be on TV!

July 22 10:02:14 am & 6:02:14 pm

Too much of a good thing…

heidi08 Festival, Friends of Martinez Beavers July 19, 2011

Yesterday was so packed with good news I barely had time to process a single tearful and unexpected treasure before the next one marched into view. It all started with Susan’s lovely column in the Petaluma Patch, which I was happy to see. Then it just went ‘uphill’ from there.

Before noon I received an email from the coordinator of Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots program, inviting Worth A Dam to be one of six educational displays at the International Day of Peace at the Oakland Zoo. That’s Jane “when-I-first-began-to-study-the-apes-inspiring-millions-of-American-children-including-a-young-Heidi-who-spent-hours-trying-to-imitate-her-voice” Goodall. Did you know she wrote the lovely forward to Hope Ryden’s famous beaver novel “Lily Pond“?

“Reading this book was, for me, like journeying into a fascinating new world: I am enriched.”

Speaking of novels, after I stared at that invitation for a while, an email arrived from author Jo Marshall who is working on a series of young adult novels designed to teach about the environment and climate change. The first of her “Twig Stories” features a gigantic beaver who needs help from his “chompers” colony to build a dam that can hold back a glacier when it melts. She was very excited to teach about beavers and how they help the watershed and would I please consider providing a quote for her work? Obviously I said yes. Who wouldn’t? (My quote can only be that since our planet sadly lacks one goliath beaver, we’re going to have to settle for lots and lots of little ones.)

When I got home from work there was a very generous donation from the wife of the lawyer who handled the Friends of Lake Skinner beaver case. And this morning the Gazette ran our event flyer as an ad out of the goodness of their hearts.

I better confess right now, there is something wrong with me. I am more like a cactus than a violet – ready for adversity and struggle, fairly comfortable marching against a strong headwind.When too many good things happen in a row I start to look around nervously – just waiting for this….

In the mean time, thanks and let’s keep it up!

Too much of a good thing can be wonderful.

Mae West

July is Panic Month

heidi08 Festival July 6, 2011

It’s official. We’ve come to July 6 and there are 30 days left until the beaver festival. It’s that blooming, buzzing time of year where I lose my mind in a gasping panic. Things don’t get done that said they’d be done, last minute changes to the program stretch the limits of my capacity to woefully apologize to the printer. Offers of help get mashed between the grinding gears of knowing what needs to be done and actually doing it. I spent two hours last night sorting out 114 bracelets into small untangled groups of ten, and checking if we have enough links for 800 charms. My kitchen table has been covered for weeks with 600 pleather beaver tails waiting to be glued together and trimmed for the children’s art project. Musical acts cancel, promises go unremembered and it is often a battle of wills whether I can bear to ask for something more times than the amnesic donor can comfortably forget it.

There is only one thing to do in the face of such sulfurous conflagration – watch this over and over while I paint my tail.

Beaver Junction Cooperative

heidi08 Festival, Friends of Martinez Beavers June 25, 2011

It’s beginning to be that time of year, in the 6 weeks leading up to the festival, that the generosity of friends, neighbors and businesses starts to put a glow on the edges of preparation. These past couple of days have been especially remarkable. What I wanted most this year was helpers and thanks to several generous columnists we’ve had a steady stream of offers to volunteer for this years’ festival. Our graphics team (Lorena & Amelia) wrote yesterday that they’re ready to move forward on this years’ brochure. Our friends at Safari West donated a certificate again for an overnight stay, dinner and tour. A native american reader has had good response from the Washoe Nation asking for a willing elder to give a blessing for this years festival. Our hardy charm bracelet volunteer Erika finished about 50 bracelets so far, and is fast at work on the others. Jean took a trip to Middletown to visit Beaver Creek Winery (which happens to proudly support a beaver family on its lands) and owner Martin Pohl donated half a dozen bottles to the silent auction. On Wednesday Niels Usden at Castoro Cellars shipped a lovely gift basket for the auction and included 75 of the of fabric logo stickers we loved so much last year.

puppets 002 — Yes, Sir. Yes, Sir. Three Bags Full!

And yesterday Jon made a trip to Folkmanis in Emeryville and was stunned to learn that their donation this year consisted of THREE huge plastic bags full of remarkable puppets, including 12 otters! He needed to pull up to the loading dock to get them all in the car!

And what’s it all for? We’re very near the one year anniversary of mom’s death and to keep things in perspective I got an email yesterday from the city engineer who said he had been contacted by someone looking around for the beavers and would Worth A Dam consider working with New leaf to develop interpretive signs? He’d be happy to facilitate things from the city end. What excellent timing! Threads seem to be ravelling together from every end of the fabric. And speaking of fabric, the materials for the leather-ett tails we’ll be painting at this years festival should arrive today.

I’m sorry, I have to post this. I can’t help it.

Good News Comes in Threes

heidi08 Beavers elsewhere, Environmental, Festival, Friends of Martinez Beavers, In the News, Video June 19, 2011

THE IBIS TOM RUSERT was trying to release in Yolo County realized it had a good thing going with the avid birder and did not want to leave his side - make that head.

Rusert Earns Bird Award

Our good friend, Tom Rusert, of Sonoma Birding was in the paper Friday for some pretty amazing news. Seems he’s this years winner of the American Birding Association’s Ludlow Griscom Award for outstanding contribution in Regional Ornithology.

Given to individuals who have dramatically advanced the state of ornithological knowledge for a particular region. This may be through their long-time contributions in monitoring avian status and distribution, facilitating the publication of state bird books, breeding bird atlases and significant papers on the regional natural history of birds. This may also be through the force of their personality, teaching and inspiration.

Emily’s article is a great read and really gives you a sense of how remarkable this recognition is for someone who’s ‘spare time’ has created an exciting, national movement. Regular readers will remember that Tom is the director of the Valley of the Moon Lecture Series where I spoke about the Martinez Beavers this year. He has visions of beavers returning soon to Sonoma, bringing waves of birds and salmon with them. He’s already invited Michael Pollock to dovetail a lecture when he’s presenting at the State of the Estuary Conference in September. Not small world enough for you? Tom will be maintaining a booth and leading a children’s bird walk at this years Beaver Festival!

Congratulations, Tom with recognition much deserved! We couldn’t be happier for you!

mendenhall — Beaver dam at Mendenhall Glacier: Photo Bob Armstrong

Want more good news? Read this article about the long-haul beaver advocates in Juneau. Remember Bob Armstrong and Mary Willson whose lovely book on the Mendenhall Glacier Beavers you’ve probably seen lying around? Well they convinced US Forestry to come with funds to have Mike Callahan of Beaver Solutions out to teach them how to safely manage beavers. Now they’ve installed their first flow device and are excited to implement more.

Willson, who is a retired professor of ecology and co-leader of the Beaver Patrol, had been one of eight who worked last week to install the culvert. The group, who has worked since 2007 to preserve the resources, trails and animal residents of the Dredge Lakes area, spent a full day installing two of these apparatuses. Willson said they are called levelers and their installation will help lower and manage water levels in flooded areas and restore currently un-useable trails.

Great work, Bob, Mary, Mike & helpers! the beavers of Juneau thank you!

And finally, a rumor from a ranger at JMA lead me to check out this article from Patch and the Gazette and contact Mr. Chandler about adding possible beaver footage to the new City Channel 28. He wrote back Friday and suggested that they would be willing to air 10 minutes of promotion for the Beaver Festival, and possibly a review afterwards. Assuming the council gives it’s approval, look for this on your TV screen soon!