Beaver vs nutria – Worth A Dam

None so blind as he who will not see [beavers]

heidi08 In the News November 3, 2014

The Sterling WIldlife Center is in New York and is having a beaver event this weekend. The paper was kind enough to run an announcement accompanied by a photo of guess who?

See what’s going on at Sterling beaver wetland Nov. 8

The Sterling Nature Center, will host a wetland walk at 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 8, at the center, Jensvold Road, Sterling.

“What’s Happening With Our Wetland” will lead guests around the dam and through the beaver wetland to highlight what changes the summer and fall have brought the area.

I wrote the paper to let them know about the mistake and they apparently care not at all. I then wrote Sterling who thanked me and said they would send the paper one of their beaver photos and ask them to change it, and it’s still on display this morning. I guess accuracy is not a priority at the Auburnpub.com. Especially because you can actually SEE the beginning of the rat tail in this photograph.

Oh well, it gives me an excuse to post this cartoon from the New Yorker which had us in stitches this weekend, though probably not for the reason they intended.

Did you know April 8th was International Nutria Day?

heidi08 Beaver-themed merchandise, Beavers, Beavers elsewhere, Environmental April 9, 2014

Neither did I. But the Oregon Live OREGONIAN apparently has the scoop. Just look at their cover photo yesterday!

International Beaver Day: 7 ways to honor Beaverton’s namesake, Oregon’s state animal

The modern beaver doesn’t look much different than ones that roamed Oregon millions of years ago. (dreamstime/Marianne Rouwendal-Tollenaar)

Guess what? April 7 was International Beaver Day. As the beaver is Oregon’s state animal, as well as the namesake for Beaverton, take some time this week to honor the water-loving rodent.

Beaverton? Are you sure you don’t mean Nutriaton? My goodness, why aren’t newspapers in the beaver state, that have been duped over and over again in very public ways, even a little wary about posting a picture of a “beaver” that doesn’t show its tail? There should be a memo somewhere in every news room that looks like this:

If you have any doubt in your heart, take a ruler and measure the distance between eye, nose and ear. And then look at this:

mom repose — Mom in repose: Photo Cheryl Reynolds 2008

Now maybe you’re thinking, oh but there’s a webbed foot in the right hand corner? It MUST be a beaver! Remember that Nutrias live an aquatic life too and therefore have webbed feet also. Look at mom’s delicate black whiskers blended into her overall fur. Beavers have fewer whiskers because there’s are more sensitive and do more work. Want to compare to a baby beaver? Also tiny black whiskers – not a sea of stiff white ones.

I have an idea of how to celebrate beaver day! Lose the rat! That might be a good start.

UPDATE: Hey, guess what? They corrected their photo! I’m not wild about this one either but I love that they listened!

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Good beaver auction news yesterday from Steve Zamek, the reformed software engineer behind FeatherLight Photgraphy. Steve really got all my attention with this amazing cover of Bay Nature, which is among the finest photos I have ever seen. (Below, along with the very smartest caption!)

Thinking that donating prints which we would have to frame would be a costly donation for us, he generously offered a gift certificate to his gallery so the buyer could chose exactly what s/he wanted. He also says I should tell him as soon as the kits are born, and he’ll come to photograph! Thank Steve!

Hooded merganser contemplating lunch — or a stickleback contemplating mortality – Steve Zamek

From the Beaver Philes

heidi08 Beavers November 5, 2011

This weekend the Willamette Resources and Educational Network is hosting a community program to raise awareness about the role beavers play in keeping the west Eugene wetlands healthy. They’ll be taking the public out to look for beavers.

Experts say beavers play a big role in the ecosystem itself and its development

“Their major role is to control floods, and so beavers are helping with that when they build the [ahhh this is fun] [sic] damns and so they’re able to sort of collect the water there, and they’re actually really important for the salmon that are in those areas too and helping them give a better nursery,” said Willamette Resources And Educational Network Environmental Educator Lindsay Raber.

And you’ll enjoy this recent descant on the beaver polar bear debate from Jim Richards Radio 1010.

And if you can’t make it to Eugene, I’ve been playing in audio files and thought you might enjoy this lost gem from Dave Ebert’s Living Green Radio interview with the Martinez Beavers!