Mendenhall of Fame

heidi08 Beaver Behavior, Beavers, Friends of Martinez Beavers, Who's saving beavers now? December 20, 2014

I first became aware of Bob Armstrong of Juneau, Alaska when I read about his ‘beaver team’ back in 2008. He was using volunteers to wipe out the troublesome beaver dams that flooded the trails at the state park so the beavers wouldn’t need to be trapped. (Very frustrated but lucky beavers!) I was able to introduce Bob to Mike and he was able to get the rangers to pay for him to come out and do a complete assessment of the situation. Along the way Bob and his colleague Mary Wilson published a beautiful book of the Mendenhall Glacier Beavers, which he was kind enough to donate to the auction at the festival many times.

Suffice to say that because of Mike’s advice Bob’s beaver team finally got a break, the trails were protected and those hard working beavers finally got to have a dam. Lory actually met Bob when she went to Alaska and we’ve been in touch all along. Yesterday he sent me word that his book was going up online as a pdf and sent me the link. You can imagine how excited I was to hear it! I put a permanent link on the left margin but you should really go check it out now.

Screen shot 2014-12-19 at 3.08.14 PM — Click to view

We were eager to study all the details like what the beavers ate and how they lived. I love his photo of the beaver dam at the glacier so much it has been my screen saver for 5 years, and I don’t think I will part with it ever. It looks to me like those beavers know even when things are hard that with a little effort anything is possible.

mendenhall — Mendenhall Glaciar Beaver Dam – Bob Armstrong

He also has been working with an underwater cam and recently found the perfect spot to install it. This is a beaver entering the lodge under the ice. Just think how lucky our beavers are!

Beaver Entering Lodge Under the Ice from Bob Armstrong on Vimeo.

And then there were three?

heidi08 Beaver Behavior, Beaver Rehabilitation, Beavers elsewhere, Educational, Environmental July 16, 2013

Close Family — Adult and kit – Cheryl Reynolds

Last night Lory and Cheryl were enjoying beaver-july. Cheryl was at the primary and Lory was at the footbridge and they were watching for kits and photo opportunities. Lory picked up the phone and said, “Okay we have two down here eating blackberries” and Cheryl answered and said “What? I have one up here with an adult!”

And that, ladies and gentlemen, makes three.

Which isn’t impossible, but sure comes as a surprise. We usually figure out the number of kits by the first week, but I guess that’s because they have a stable residence and we know where to look. This year they seem to be dividing their time between the bank hole by the footbridge and the one by the primary, depending on how high the tide gets. The good news is that they’re all healthy and happy. God knows when we’ll ever get the whole family together for a photo, but until we do, enjoy this.

two and adult - Cheryl Reynolds — Two and adult – Cheryl Reynolds

This morning I got a surprise email from Bob Armstrong of Juneau. He’s the remarkable photographer behind the Mendenhall Glacier Beavers book, and gets the credit for my favorite beaver dam photo of all times, which remains my screen saver 5 years later.

Beaver dam at Mendenhall Glacier: Photo Bob Armstrong

Seems he is trying his hand at video. He sent me a very large file which I managed to upload to Youtube. Notice how big that log is and how little that beaver is. Every time he tries to dive with it he floats up. He can’t be a year old. Make sure you stay for the soundtrack that starts at 1.20, and think about this the next time you feel like giving up.

And just between you, me and the lamp post, Cheryl has been working hard with a team from San Jose who has been trying to rescue the mother beaver that appears to have something around her middle. Trash? Cord? We don’t know for sure, but it is restricting her movements and doesn’t look good. Channel 5 was there when they were trying to live trap last night, so it will be all over your TV soon. No luck rescuing mom yet, but we have the very best minds at work getting her safe again. Stay tuned.

Old Friends

heidi08 Beavers, Beavers elsewhere November 9, 2012

Remember our old friends Bob Armstrong and Mary Willson from Juneau? The were the ones that documented the activity of the beavers at the Mendenhall glacier park and published this lovely book. They also organized volunteers to rip out the dams so that the beavers wouldn’t need to be killed until the rangers could pay for Mike Callahan to come out and do a beaver management plan. It seems like a million years ago now, but its nice to see this morning that Bob and Mary are still going strong!

As we climbed back up the hill to the main West Glacier Trail, we noted old beaver works high on the slope. Several trees had, long ago, been chewed or cut down. At first thought, it seemed odd for beavers to clamber so far up a hill, when trees seemed to be available closer to shore. Then we recalled that a couple of years ago, a beaver lived for a time above the Eaglecrest lodge, building small dams and a house. So beavers do what they need to do, in order to survive.

Go read the whole thing for a gentle friday stroll with two remarkable naturalists. Bob has a nice photo of a water strider, but sadly no beaver dams in this article. Here at home there was snow on Mt. Diablo this morning and in the world of ironic just desserts my internet is down this morning so I’m posting this on the cities dime. I bet they’re happy they installed free WIFI downtown. I can just barely reach it if I face north in the coldest bay window of the house!

Also happy anniversary to a certain Englishman who has traveled with me on life’s journey for 26 years today. You know who you are.

Good News Comes in Threes

heidi08 Beavers elsewhere, Environmental, Festival, Friends of Martinez Beavers, In the News, Video June 19, 2011

THE IBIS TOM RUSERT was trying to release in Yolo County realized it had a good thing going with the avid birder and did not want to leave his side - make that head.

Rusert Earns Bird Award

Our good friend, Tom Rusert, of Sonoma Birding was in the paper Friday for some pretty amazing news. Seems he’s this years winner of the American Birding Association’s Ludlow Griscom Award for outstanding contribution in Regional Ornithology.

Given to individuals who have dramatically advanced the state of ornithological knowledge for a particular region. This may be through their long-time contributions in monitoring avian status and distribution, facilitating the publication of state bird books, breeding bird atlases and significant papers on the regional natural history of birds. This may also be through the force of their personality, teaching and inspiration.

Emily’s article is a great read and really gives you a sense of how remarkable this recognition is for someone who’s ‘spare time’ has created an exciting, national movement. Regular readers will remember that Tom is the director of the Valley of the Moon Lecture Series where I spoke about the Martinez Beavers this year. He has visions of beavers returning soon to Sonoma, bringing waves of birds and salmon with them. He’s already invited Michael Pollock to dovetail a lecture when he’s presenting at the State of the Estuary Conference in September. Not small world enough for you? Tom will be maintaining a booth and leading a children’s bird walk at this years Beaver Festival!

Congratulations, Tom with recognition much deserved! We couldn’t be happier for you!

Want more good news? Read this article about the long-haul beaver advocates in Juneau. Remember Bob Armstrong and Mary Willson whose lovely book on the Mendenhall Glacier Beavers you’ve probably seen lying around? Well they convinced US Forestry to come with funds to have Mike Callahan of Beaver Solutions out to teach them how to safely manage beavers. Now they’ve installed their first flow device and are excited to implement more.

Willson, who is a retired professor of ecology and co-leader of the Beaver Patrol, had been one of eight who worked last week to install the culvert. The group, who has worked since 2007 to preserve the resources, trails and animal residents of the Dredge Lakes area, spent a full day installing two of these apparatuses. Willson said they are called levelers and their installation will help lower and manage water levels in flooded areas and restore currently un-useable trails.

Great work, Bob, Mary, Mike & helpers! the beavers of Juneau thank you!

And finally, a rumor from a ranger at JMA lead me to check out this article from Patch and the Gazette and contact Mr. Chandler about adding possible beaver footage to the new City Channel 28. He wrote back Friday and suggested that they would be willing to air 10 minutes of promotion for the Beaver Festival, and possibly a review afterwards. Assuming the council gives it’s approval, look for this on your TV screen soon!

Coincidence!

heidi08 Beaver Behavior, Beavers elsewhere, Creative Solutions, Friends of Martinez Beavers November 20, 2010

So yesterday I was excited about seeing beavers be cozy on the lodge cam from the Tongass National Forest. I realized that I should check with Beaver friend Bob Armstrong to make sure he knew about it. Bob is the author and photographer behind the Beavers of Mendenhall Glacier Book, and the steadfast volunteer that got a team together to remove dams and debris when it looked like the local US Forestry group was ready to exterminate. He arranged to bring Mike Callahan out and show him the area, and Mike wrote a Comprehensive Beaver Management Plan for humane dealing with flooding problems without impacting salmon. Bob met Lory and her husband on their trip to Juneau and showed them around the habitat. And what’s more, he gave me the photo that has been my screen saver for the past two+ years.

It’s the beginnings of a beaver dam in front of the Mendenhall Glacier with the sun rising in the back. Every single time I look on this photo I am struck with wonder. I haven’t been tempted by a single other desktop image since I’ve had it. I think because it has everything I want in the ‘dimensional portal’ that should be a desktop. Something familiar that you know and love (the dam) and something exotic and awesome, that you are frightened and inspired by (the glacier). I love this photo for every possible reason.

Well guess what Bob replied about the lodge cam?

Thanks Heidi, yes I am aware of it. Our beaver patrol has worked hard with the forest service to conserve this area and lodge. This winter the pond is now frozen and they have a great cache of food out in front of the lodge. The dam photo you liked was built by beavers from this lodge. And by the way they now have a successful dam in the same spot. Bob

Did you get that? The beavers on the lodge cam are the VERY beavers that build the dam in this lovely photo that greets me every morning when I turn on the computer. I couldn’t be happier at the coincidence, (I thought I might have recognized familiar brilliance in the eye of the beaver I saw yesterday). With Mike’s tools they now have been allowed a successful dam in the area and it creates a fantastic (frozen) pool where they have laid a nice food cache for the winter. (One beaver on camera was happily stripping bark from a stick this morning. Later he was covered in water droplets, that were obviously not freezing inside the lodge.)

Bob, I’m so happy for your message! I have implored Scott to see if he can find a way to embed the webcam on our site, and he is now a man with a mission. Thank you, Bob, for your fantastic work and for your beautiful book. Here’s the site of the camera again in case you want to see what the snowbound beavers are up to!