DR. FAIRFAX AND SMOKEY THE BEAVER

heidi08 Beavers and Fire Prevention January 31, 2020

I was allowed to see something wonderful yesterday. Dr. Emily Fairfax recently did a killer presentation for the forest service about beavers and fire.

For her research she compared large fires across 5 states (including California) and found that in areas that there were beaver dams the vegetation was lusher before, during and after the fires. Part of the reason was the many complex dams they maintained making ponds and part of it was the canals they dug spreading water around the landscape. She argues persuasively and with all the right statistics that we need to let beavers do their thing more often.

Oh and she mentioned me, which was kind of surprising.

I spent all day trying to get the presentation shareable so you and everyone else could know what an AWESOME job Emily did, but it failed for some reason. I will try again but just know that her presentation is AMAZING and should be on the governors iphone in the morning.

Now it appears to be working again, but if for some reason it stops just know I will work to bring it back. It begins with the facilitators voice and then cuts to Emily. I would listen all the way through if you have time.

It’s that good.

BETTER THAN GOATS

heidi08 Beavers and Fire Prevention January 14, 2019

There are lots of reasons California should be caring more about beavers. Salmon for one. Groundwater and drought area another. But the most recent issue to fuel interest in our flat-tailed friends lit up the sky a few months ago and is fresh on all our minds. I was reminded of it vividly by this clever campaign.

To Prevent Fires, One California Town Says ‘Goat Fund Me’

Nestled in the foothills of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains is the quaint Gold Rush town of Nevada City. Surrounded by unkempt brush, the old, highly flammable city is in danger: With California’s wildfires raging with unprecedented ferocity in recent years, one spark could doom Nevada City to the same fate that neighboring Paradise met in November.

But not if the goats get there first. Realizing its predicament, Nevada City has launched a crowdfunding campaign to pay goats (or, more accurately, their herders) to clear brush at the edges of town. It’s called, yes, Goat Fund Me. And it’s part of an ungulate awakening: All across the state, business is booming for herders as panicked homeowners and towns reckon with the wildfire menace.

Heh heh heh. “Goat fund me“, Now that’s clever. some one gets points for that. And it’s a smart way to get some media behind a solid idea. Thinking about the brush everyone has stopped seeing and some realistic solutions for getting rid of it.

On their own, goats only do part of the job; they’re more of an advance party. They get in there and strip out the brush enough for human crews to come in with chainsaws to cart away the bigger branches and such. Of particular convenience is the fact that goats will happily eat poison oak. “They’re cute little things, but it’s only one little piece,” says Senum. “Who doesn’t love a goat?

Still, the firefighting ruminant business is booming in California, beyond Nevada City. “It seems like everybody kind of woke up with these big fires,” says Fowler. “And I tell you what, there’s a huge opportunity. If somebody wants to get into the business, now would be a good time.”

You know what would be an even better idea? Of course you do. To bring in beavers. They would get rid of the fuel and increase the water content in the soil all around them to boot. Now we just need a catchy name.

Any suggestions?

Lisa Hodge is a reader of this website and a Wildlife Rehabilitator at Valley Wildlife Care, Inc. of Virginia She recently launched this campaign to raise money for the group. I thought the beaver was so sweet and the message so fitting that our readers might want to help out a bit.

Lisa’s message on facebook read:

I hope you all will be as supportive as you have been in the past. This shirt is extra special because my good friend Michele Sommers of Sommers End Originals did the design. She made the idea I had inside my head come to life for us and I am so very grateful.

Click here to purchase your own and support the good work done by these wildlife friends. I ‘met’ Lisa after she rehabbed a beaver and fell deeply in love with the kit in her care. She has been devoted to the animals in her care and of course that kind of behavior deserves your support.

SHOWTIME!

heidi08 Beavers, Beavers and Fire Prevention, Beavers and Forests August 5, 2017

Eek! Showtime is here! Yesterday was a dizzying combination of details, confirmations, a last minute cancellation, and several favors I never expected. I was braced for tragedy so when the sound guy called at 11 I practically answered the phone with “Is it bad news?”. Nope, he assured me, just wanted to be sure of everything and would see me in the morning. The John Muir Histori site was very helpful in loaning us some tents and Jon had a fairly easy time loading up the U-haul, although I did wake him up at 1 and wonder where the tattoos were.

Pity the author Ben Goldfarb, who called me last night from the Quality Inn in Martinez to say he’d be there tomorrow morning to help set up. He cleverly noted they were having “quality time at the quality inn“, but I wasn’t fooled, that place is so much of a dive even my parents couldn’t stand it and moved out in the middle of the night. Good luck, Ben and Elise!

We had a nice mention in Joan Morris’ column yesterday as a final blessing. I’m sure that the last act of Gary Bogue before he retired was to tell her “be nice to those beaver people.” And she always is. Thanks Joan!

Beaver celebration

A decade ago, a family of beavers in Martinez were about to be evicted from their home on Alhambra Creek because their dam had caused flooding in the downtown area. Then a group of people stood up for the beavers and found a solution that prevented the flooding and allowed the beavers to live in peace.

Although the beavers eventually died or left the area, their presence encouraged other aquatic creatures to return the creek. The Martinez beavers will be celebrated 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Marina Vista and Alhambra Avenue in Martinez.

But there is one piece of good news that should make anyone’s day even if they are planning a Festival on the most weirdly humid day in Martinez history. And it’s this letter to the editor from Arizona of all places. I might have expected it from Oregon or Utah, but seeing it in the grand canyon state surprised me. Mark my words, someday every state will write this letter.

The Brian Head Fire has been stopped and restoration has started.

To me, nothing could be better to help with restoration than the beaver. He works for free to help stop soil erosion, stop the flooding and save the fish. Their dams hold the water on the mountain to make it green, to water the aspen trees. They will not burn like the pines do. Our long-term goals in fire management should include the beaver.

If we have rules against this, they should be changed! No one can help save our land better than they can. I believe people should talk about this, and people like Jackie Grant and Brendan Waterman (The Spectrum & Daily News, 7-17-17) should be leading the way.

We the people should not let our tax dollars be used to kill them. We should spend our tax money to help them come back, to relocate them, put overflows on their dams and help them any way we can.

Eric Jensen Fredonia, Arizona

Eric! What a fantastic letter! You are absolutely right that having more water savers would alter the fire risk. And pointing out that people should be talking about this and changing the rules to make it happen. Thank you for your excellent letter. I think I better add a new classification of “Beavers and fire prevention” because we had another great article on this a while ago from Idaho after their huge fires. Too bad Fredonia is so far away because otherwise I’d invite you to the beaver festival!

Eek! BEAVER FESTIVAL! Come for the music! Come for the children! Come for the auction! Come for the wildlife! But just come!