Because the beaver isn't just an animal; it's an ecosystem!

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Of some fearless warriors.

There are lots of these clips floating around youtube, but this shows a nice collection of otter behaviors before we get to the crocodile challenge. Like meerkats and prairie dogs, you really see the social communication embedded in the otter movements and fluidly invisible cues.

My favorite thing about watching a scene like this is that even after a crocodile victory the very best part of those otters day was probably the thorough group rub in the sand.

Bitter Tear Update

Gulf Oil Spill
COVINGTON, La. — Robot submarines carried equipment and cut small pipes at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico on Monday to prepare to place a new containment valve over the blown-out well this week, while BP crews began working on yet another containment plan that could be added after the cut-and-cap effort.

Sadly it’s the “cut and cap” method, and not the “Cut the crap” method that’s been sorely needed all along.


Because after you see this

and this

You will need to see this just to convince yourself to stay on the planet and not give up completely.

Watch this video all the way to the demonstration at the end. Amazing! Learn more about “matter of trust” here. Tell your hair stylist and your dog groomer. They are based in SF and I’m thinking they need an invitation to the beaver festival!

7:00 AM Beaver Update:

New landscaping decision at the tile bridge. Mom enjoying the twiggy treats last night and this morning. Could there be more mouths to feed?


Worth A Dam will host a table today at this magical store in Pleasant Hill. If you’ve never been you should stop by and look at their track-stopping aviary where brightly colored exotic birds sing and flutter in perfect comfort. If you’re a regular you should still stop by and pick up some spring seed and a lovely card or gift for mom. Wild Birds has been a big supporter of the beavers since way back when, and donated to our festival last year in several generous ways. Today I’ll be helped by Scott of JournOwl, who has been interested in contributing to the beavers and is also working to network with a community of supporters for his burrowing owls. It should be a friend-filled day. We always have fun at their shows. Remember this from last May?

One of most the delightful moments at the Wild Birds Unlimited fair was an approach from a retired teacher named Virginia, who stood patiently while I was talking to someone else and silently waited with a furry beaver puppet on her hand. She explained that her (3rd grade?) elementary classroom had been the “busy beavers” and that a parent who hand made puppets had made her the beaver original.

Now I’m a big fan of folkmanis, but this beaver was adorable, and had the slightly scruffy well loved look that told me he had a very active child-cuddled life.

(You’re all familiar I trust with the story of the velveteen rabbit and what it means for a favorite stuffed animal to become “real”? Well this beaver was well on its way…)

“What is REAL?” asked the Rabbit one day. “Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.”

“Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit.

“Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.”

It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”

Virginia thought that since she wasn’t in the classroom anymore, she would give it to me to use in future child beaver presentations. She had carried it in a plastic baggie all the way to the bird store because she knew Worth A Dam would be there. She was absolutely delighted with the idea that the beaver would continue helping children.

As freely as this gift was offered, I knew it couldn’t be mine. This was a precious totem of her heroic adventures in the classroom battlefield and the light in her eyes told me it reminded her every time she held it why she started teaching in the first place. We agreed that she would keep the puppet, and that she would let me hold it for a while and take a picture with her iphone (of which she spoke so fondly I thought it might also be becoming “real” too…) and she would send me the photo when she could.

The moment I slipped on the puppet I could practically feel the energy and echos of a room full of laughing children. A sudden need to make a beaver voice possessed me, and I knew the first thing out of that beavers mouth would have to be “oh no! mayor rob was trying to kill me!” by the time he got to the sheetpile paneling in their lodge the beaver would have descended into a George Carlin monologue that wasn’t safe for public viewing.

I extracted him unwillingly from my hand, patted the beaver’s head and furry tail and handed him gently back, suggesting she poke some holes in that plastic bag.

Thanks Virginia, for sharing your very special gift with me, and reminding me how our seamstress beavers can thread the needle of community spirit to stich perfect strangers together.


So Tuesday saw a report of the largest beaver dam in Canada that was sooooo long it was visible from space. I have been receiving a steady stream of emails asking me if I’m familiar with the story, which I got first from Beavers Wetlands and Wildlife and promptly forwarded to our wikipedia friend to put on the ‘north american beavers wiki’ page. I thought I’d better post my gratitude and lay any questions about my being informed to rest.

Thanks to:

Sharon Brown, Gary Bogue, Pat Von Behren, John Curtis, Leanne Peterson, Lori Angrboda, Pat Corr, Scott Artis, Mike Callahan, Diane Burgess, Jean O’Neil, Alex Hiller and Rachel Maddow.

If I forgot your name, I’m still gratful. It’s a fun report from Rachel. Please watch it. She definately gets a letter.




‘There is another shore, you know

upon the other side’

Tonight Worth A Dam will present at the Friends of Marsh Creek Watershed meeting in Oakley. FOMCW is a well-respected environmental group that does remarkable things for the area. We crossed paths with them at the Flyway Fiesta and some other functions we’ve been at over the year. Turns out they are lead by a woman I went to high school with. So, go Alhambra with the conservationists! It is a great opportunity to spread the beaver gospel, because you know they will have beavers soon if they don’t already.

Along those lines, in January the local blogger “Mayor of Claycord” posted these photos of a beaver sighting in Marsh Creek. I of course sent them to Diane to inquire. She assures me that no one in their organization has seen beaver there. Was I certain it wasn’t an otter? Ohhh looking at that picture I’m ‘dam’ certain. Looks like its a great time to have an opportunity to talk about the good beavers can do in the watershed and remind them of the resources available for solving any difficulties they might cause.

Wish me luck with the epic highway 4 commute! I’ll let you now how it goes.

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Ranger rick

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