Sharon Brown of Beavers:Wetlands & Wildlife
City leaders and citizens of Martinez, CA deserve much credit for their enlightened response to the presence of a beaver family in a downtown park. It is fitting that the home of John Muir demonstrates how cities can coexist with our land’s keystone species.
Martinez has done the right thing, despite some obstacles. People and officials have spent considerable time and resources to find and implement a win/win solution. In the process, Martinez is becoming famous as one of the best sites for urban wildlife viewing nationwide.
Since California has lost more of its original wetlands than any other state, it is appropriate that a California city shows the ways to restore these vital life support systems. When the beaver pair moved into a man-made wetland in Martinez and began to improve it, they reminded us that working with nature gives the best results. Making use of the beaver’s ability to restore vital wetlands can alleviate today’s major environmental problems.
As the climate crisis brings more costly floods and droughts, it becomes even more important to understand how restoring beaver dams and wetlands can decrease the damage done by such extreme weather events. When water is held in a series of beaver ponds, there are less droughts upstream and less costly flood damage downstream. Plus, the lush plant life of beaver wetlands absorbs carbon dioxide, the major greenhouse gas.
Beaverworks also slow the flow of streams and keep water on the land longer, so that pesticides and other toxics can be broken down. Silt is filtered out at the dams. Thus, beavers can help solve our problems with both water quality and quantity.
Yet another benefit of the Martinez beaver pond, and others, is providing habitat for many other species—including almost half the threatened and endangered species, according to U.S. EPA. Having a beaver wetland within city limits gives residents and tourists a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with nature.
We urge the city’s leaders to continue their good work and not be swayed by a few complaints. Our nation’s future wellbeing depends upon the enlightened coexistence with nature that Martinez demonstrates so well.
Sharon T. Brown, Wildlife Biologist
Beavers: Wetlands & Wildlife
