Good Day, Sunshine

Something was different about this year’s festival. I’m still trying to put my finger on it. It wasn’t more crowded, I think we had about the same attendance, (but folks from “wildlife row” who were moved to the outer lanes thought there were fewer, and folks from the outside moved in to the main drag swore there were more.) It wasn’t just better publicity, although this was the luckiest we have ever been with the press, including print, TV and radio. It wasn’t just the exhibits, although we had more than ever before including a tail slapping beaver and a boat! It wasn’t just the solar-powered amplification although it knit the park together and made it seem like a real event. And it wasn’t just the awesome sewn and painted tails or charms.

Jon’s tours were more packed with knowledgeable wildlife fans, volunteers at every booth got more thank yous and donations in their ‘tip jar’, people all seemed to have a brochure and were actually using it, and there were fewer moments of abject confusion and last minute mayhem than there usually are.

Oh and a few awesome things happened to me personally. The day started with a visit from forest service filmmaker, Steve Dunsky who I was introduced to by Tom Russert when I asked for beavers to be included in the 50th year anniversary. Steve is working on the Vallejo – based festival for the celebration of 50 year anniversary of the wilderness act, a three day extravaganza of which the Martinez Beavers will be a small part with a tour on September 6th. If you’ve not heard about it you really should go read up and find out how you can be involved.

The “Visions of the Wild” Festival celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act. Join us for all the festival has to offer: films, speakers, art, music, and field trips.

 The “Visions of the Wild” Festival celebrates California’s public wilderness lands and invites you to find wild things wherever you live.

 The Visions of the Wild Festival happens September 4th, 5th and 6th in Vallejo.

I was happy to see it offered with this poster, by a painter you should recognize, Monte Dolack. You might remember the artist best for his donation of this to the beaver festival in 2012. His leave it to beavers graces my office and makes me smile every day I see it.

After I met Steve, an older gentleman introduced himself as a member of the Alameda Fish and Game Advisory Commission and asked  who we were funded by. He said we were an ideal candidate for a grant and should apply to the Contra Costa FGAC because it was such a positive wildlife event. He’d be happy to help. (!) Then the head of our new non-profit fiscal agent, Dr. Loren Cole, walked up and shook my hand, saying what a great event it was and how happy he was to sponsor Worth A Dam!

Could the day get better you ask? How about the visit from Jack Sanchez of SARSAS (Save Auburn Ravine Salmon and Steelhead) who I met in Santa Barbara at my talk. He had trouble with beaver dams in the ravine and needed someone to help with a flow device. I introduced him to Ted and Sherry Guzzi of the Sierra Wildlife Coalition and they set up a day to come see what he needed. Then a woman director from the EPA came to talk about a mine they just got responsibility for in the Sierras, which had beaver dams, and wanted to talk about beavers improving invertebrates and affecting the unstable PH levels. It seemed like beaver dams were making things better downstream but she wondered what could they do to keep them there?

Then I got a visit from Suzi Eszterhas, a free lance international wildlife photograher that has been published in National Geographic. She is working with Bird Rescue to do a Ranger Rick feature, and she wanted to talk about doing a piece on the Martinez Beavers. She was especially interested in showing their family life and the community involvement that sustained them. She said she usually photographed animals on site for several months, maybe as long as a year before doing the story. Did I think that would be a problem?

Considering she had photographed lions and cheetahs in the Serengeti, I didn’t think our beavers would mind her sitting quietly on the bank and seeing their private lives. We’re going to talk soon and I can’t say how excited I am about the possibility. I hope I said the right things to make her very, very interested.

Now you’re thinking “that’s it! There can’t be one more remarkable thing that happened to you that day. You are just exaggerating”. But you’d be wrong;

But that is not all.

Oh, no.

That is not all….”

Dr. Seuss (The Cat in the Hat)

Because just at that very moment a group of women were stopping in the path to photograph my “HOW” and “WHY” to leave with beaver posters and I said, if you want just shoot me an email and I can send you the JPEGs for those. And the woman thanked me very much and introduced herself as a regional manager for the Department of Agriculture, and they were always dealing with beaver issues so she wanted to send them to everyone in her offices.

Just in case the acronym escaped you, that’s the USDA – of which APHIS is part. As in killing birds at airports and woodpeckers in Rossmoor and beavers EVERYWHERE. And the USDA will have MY posters telling it how and why to live with beavers.

So yeah, it was a pretty good day.