MIDWEST EMBRACES BEAVERS

Yesterday I attended the first of two meetings for the midwest beaver summit. It was a shortish two hours over lunch but very well attended and received. In fact as the meeting was opening attendees were asked to say who they were and where they worked so the backgrounds could get to know each other and a beaver working group could be formed eventually.

For literally a half an hour I saw profile after profile, “hydrologist wildlife services Missouri”, “wildlife biologist department of forestry Ohio”, “science officer fish and wildlife North Dakota”, over and over, like a procession of dignitaries interested in beavers and until I literally teared up.

Sure it was just the beginning, and sure there numbers were small, and sure a two hour meeting won’t change the world but it was something. Watching people react to Emily’s hard hitting presentation about beavers and fire, watching minds actually get blown by the reality of beavers from Ben and Leila. watching this thing that existed because of our summit which existed because of the new mexico summit which existed because of the extraordinary work of Mary Obrien in Utah which they wanted to repeat…it was something.

And I thought back to our early days struggling to save the martinez beavers and how no one knew what to do and everyone did their own research and how vastly different in every possible way things are than they were then, and how mercilessly the same they still are anyway, and I felt proud and jealous and vindicated and persecuted and happy.

How was your Wednesday?