312 people have signed up for the beaver summit so far. It has made the BWWW newsletter and is going in the Montana Wildlife Federation newsletter soon. I have an interview with Estuary magazine about it tomorrow. That’s kind of amazing. Registrants come from USDA, CDFW, NOAA and FWS. California state parks and National Parks are there. There are even attendees from the out of the country. I’ve been scanning email addresses with very wide eyes. Noticing one registrant from the power company and another from NPR.
Wow. We’re in it now. The conference that started as Stone Soup is going to feed a lot of people.
I can’t even really believe California will get any smarter but it’s about dam time they did, don’t you think? Meanwhile a township in Massachusetts called New Natick is about to get a whole lot smarter as well.
New Natick Group Revamping Town Trails (And Deceiving Beavers)
Over the past few months, the committee has come up with a list of projects to tackle this spring. The group has received funding for new trailhead signs, trail markings and kiosks at trail heads. Interpretive signs will also be installed near Pickerel Pond to describe beaver habitat and a device installed by the town known as a “beaver deceiver” — it keeps water flowing under dams so the critters don’t flood trails.
The committee also plans to launch a trail steward program: a team of volunteers that would identify and help fix problems on local trails, whether it’s a downed tree or a guerilla BMX bike obstacle. Drenick said the committee may begin looking for volunteers as soon as April.
I assume they’re hiring Mike to do this? He’s about an a hour and a half away so its not impossible. I’m glad they have decided to do the right thing and am sure it will reap rewards many times over the cost to install. Good for them and good for those beavers.
Today it has been eight years since my fathers death. My mom is getting her second vaccine shot and I like to think he is making sure she is taken care of once again.