I haven’t even finished listening to this yet but I know its fabulous because its by Ellen Wohl who is as close to a beaver trained professor as any woman can be. I first connected with Ellen years ago after a lecture of hers was placed online. When I persuaded her to coauthor our urban beaver chapter in the beaver restoration guidebook I believe Michael Pollock referred to the prospect of adding her name to our publication as a “get”.
She’s very very respected. For a very good reason.
Another surprise donation to our silent auction comes from the french Canadian world of Kness, whose line of cute everythings ship around the world. Check out her recent donation. I’m thinking it would be a wonderful way to serve your cornflakes every morning.
Yesterday KATU in Portland aired a new special on the many tools being used to help prevent wildfires in the west. Guess what one was?
PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — KATU News is ‘On Your Side,’ helping you prepare before a wildfire threatens your health, life, or home.
In KATU’s half-hour special called ‘Wildfire Season: Prepare & Protect,’ we’ll show you how to make the area around your home more fire-safe and how to build ‘defensible space.”
We will show you how some utility companies in the West are trying to stop power lines from sparking an inferno, and even how Oregon’s state animal, the beaver, can help make wilderness areas less prone to wildfires.
It’s been such a nice spring with mild tempertures and lots of rain. But it won’t last forever. Thank goodness we have helpers.
Beavers, Natures Firefighters:
Scientists are turning to an unusual ally when it comes to fighting wildfires, Oregon’s state animal, the beaver.
Beavers on the hunt for wood for their dams create new channels of water from rivers that become new wetlands. Satellite imagery studied by the University of Minnesota showed wetland beaver habitat was less likely to burn in a wildfire, and in some cases, was almost completely spared. “It is kind of a mess and it’s wonderful. You know it is a great big sponge that is not going to burn,” says Audrey Taub, executive director of the San Luis Obispo Beaver Brigade.
In 2023, Oregon lawmakers passed the “Beaver Believer Bill” which allows the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to manage beavers on private land.
Alright then, Beavers to the rescue! I’m guessing no one has commented about how the thing you’re hoping saves your butt is the same thing you let recreational trappers take from public lands. But sure, its a start I guess.
This study more than caught my eye. Of course it made me wonder what would happen if they switched out the word “BIRD” for the word “BEAVER”.
A new study finds people who have nature-based experiences report better well-being and lower psychological distress than those who do not. Birdwatching in particular yielded promising results, with higher gains in subjective well-being and more reduction in distress than more generic nature exposure, such as walks. Because birdwatching is an easily accessible activity, the results are encouraging for college students – who are among those most likely to suffer from mental health problems.
“There has been a lot of research about well-being coming out through the pandemic that suggests adolescents and college-aged kids are struggling the most,” said Nils Peterson, corresponding author of the study and a professor of forestry and environmental resources at North Carolina State University. “Especially when you think about students and grad students, it seems like those are groups that are struggling in terms of access to nature and getting those benefits.
“Bird watching is among the most ubiquitous ways that human beings interact with wildlife globally, and college campuses provide a pocket where there’s access to that activity even in more urban settings.”
You know that’s true. Watching birds is soothing and beneficial. Maybe that’s why watching beavers change the populations of birds is so dam wonderful.
Plus the otters mink turtles and frogs.
The study supports the idea that birdwatching helps improve mental health and opens up many avenues for future research. For example, future study could examine why birdwatching helps people feel better or the moderating effects of race, gender and other factors.
The paper, “Birdwatching linked to increased psychological well-being on college campuses: A pilot-scale experimental study,” is published in Environmental Psychology. Co-authors include Lincoln Larson, Aaron Hipp, Justin M. Beall, Catherine Lerose, Hannah Desrochers, Summer Lauder, Sophia Torres, Nathan A. Tarr, Kayla Stukes, Kathryn Stevenson and Katherine L. Martin, all from NC State.
You probably don’t know much about beaver watching in North Carolina where they trap the dickens out of them. But let me tell you that watching beavers didn’t just change ME. It changed a COMMUNITY.
The study supports the idea that birdwatching helps improve mental health and opens up many avenues for future research. For example, future study could examine why birdwatching helps people feel better or the moderating effects of race, gender and other factors.
Speaking of ideas for future studies have I got an idea for you. Lets talk.
The California Assembly unanimously approved Assembly Bill (AB) 2196, introduced by Assemblymember Damon Connolly (D-San Rafael). This legislation secures the future of the state’s beaver restoration program, which revitalizes ecosystems and addresses climate challenges.
Initiated under the FY2022-23 Budget Act, the beaver restoration program focuses on the crucial role beavers play in maintaining healthy watersheds and ecosystems. These industrious creatures are keystone species that contribute to restoring areas most affected by environmental degradation.
Unanimous support for beavers? That almost never happens. It passed by something like 72-0. Seems to me if they are so powerful in their persuasion they should have tried this earlier.
“Beavers are an instrumental keystone species to our ecosystems,” says Assemblymember Connolly. “They play a vital role in maintaining and engineering habitats that have widespread environmental and climate benefits. AB 2196 codifies the beaver restoration program in statute and ensures this important species continues to play a role in meeting our climate goals. I’m proud that this bill is supported by nearly fifty environmental protection, conservation, wildlife advocacy, sustainable agriculture, and other science-based organizations.”
I’m glad its moving forward but I seem to remember there was a passage in the Talmud that said a unanimous decision was invalid because “There was no one to argue the other side”.
I guess no one wants to be on the wrong side of beavers.
Ashley Eagle-Gibbs, executive director of the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin, emphasizes the broader impact: “Beavers have long been recognized as fundamental to creating and preserving healthy habitat. AB 2196 opens the door for the science-based management of this species. This is consistent with our state’s 30×30 goals, helps contribute to wildfire mitigation strategies, and preserves water-rich ecosystems for the benefit of wildlife and humans alike. We are excited to see beaver reintroduction moving forward in California, and we thank Assemblymember Connolly for his leadership on this important issue.”
What’s next for AB 2196?
The next step for AB 2196 is to be reviewed by the California State Senate. It is scheduled for a policy committee hearing in June. If it passes the Senate, it will then proceed to Gov. Gavin Newsom for his signature to become law.
It’s on its way. Obviously the hard part was getting it passed in the first place. Lets see what comes next.
