So yesterday we received a donation from Mary O’brien, which happened when she asked about our Ecosystem poster and I said we’d send some right away. There are VERY few things more affirming than receiving a donation from the woman that pretty much single-handedly inspired me to do this work in the first place. It was 2009 that I read what I still consider the most important beaver article ever written in High Country News and it was SO long ago that it wasn’t even by Ben Goldfarb. (Sorry Ben.)
Voyage of the Dammed
Even with a tall wooden cross mounted on the wall behind her, Mary O’Brien doesn’t look like a typical preacher. In her blue cardigan and jeans, a single heavy braid falling like a gray rope down her back, she paces slowly from side to side, telling her listeners that we are worshipping a false landscape.
I was so star struck by the article that when I went to my first beaver conference I remember busily SCANNING the crowd for that thick grey braid to see which one was her. It turned out there were far too many grey braids to count – (some of them on the men). Plus it turned out she had cut hers off by then. But she was genuinely happy to strike up a conversation anyway, and that’s how we first met. Here she is at one of our early festivals photographing the children’s tiles on the bridge.
Mary’s an amazing and powerful woman, who is very patient with the many competing and stubborn voices in Utah. She’s also not afraid to tell people what to do or ask for help when its useful. I agree with her that this is a really cool poster. My favorite part is that it makes people smarter when all they do have to look at it. Coyote studios did a wonderful job with my idea and the quote from Alex Riley. It was a joint effort.
Well there many be more sources of beaver wisdom that there used to, but there’s still plenty of beaver stupid to go around. Here’s a little slice from North Carolina.
Mayor says beavers may be to blame for damage to Cary road
Cary, N.C. — Beavers may be behind a dip that has recently developed on Green Level Church Road in Cary, according to Mayor Harold Weinbrecht.
IWeinbrecht said it appears as though a group of beavers has built a dam inside two 72-inch storm pipes that run beneath the road, which likely led to issues with the pavement.
Beavers are SO useful to mayors! Think about it. Whether you’re blamed for a pothole or a power outage or a warehouse fire beavers offer the handy excuse and get-out-of-jail-free that card city officials need most. Surely it wasn’t due to Cary’s shoddy workmanship or anything like that.
Just like it wasn’t Martinez fault when the creek bank started eroding because all they did was put in topsoil near a flood plain.
Blaming the beavers is a civic treasure, Politicians should love beavers. There should probably be a national holiday.
