Drop some pocket money in their jar so they know for sure that saving beavers matter. I did and got a nice letter last night asking for more tools to educate the public about their value. I know money is tight and it’s earth day, but fergawdsake those kits are dam cute and two years is a long time. Tell them you you want to support the beavers!

Big Bend Wildlife Sanctuary  (scroll down for donations)

Yesterday in Martinez was a rollercoaster starting when Jon went down to the creek an saw that ALL OUR PLANTED STAKES WERE PULLED OUT an neatly piled. The cages gone!

11:30 am

Those stakes had been pounded hard into the soil so I knew this wasn’t the work of the beavers or the homeless. I called Tim Tucker, the city council, and notified the Americorp Interns so they could call Tim too. Then I called channel 7 news and said that the stakes they had filmed us planting on March 28th had all been pulled out.

Shortly there after I got a slightly more trusted member of public works who said he had been worried about the stakes being too close to the water, called some guys and pulled them ALL UP. But he’d been talking to Tim and ‘don’t worry THEY just put them ALL BACK”. Including the cages and the rods to keep them secure. And he loved the beavers! And told public works in Benicia about Skips’ flow device!

3:30 pm

They and their cages were all returned. Some  planted upside down, barely in the soil, and not watered. Meanwhile Tim called the interns and calmed them down with similar language. Although at no time did anyone explain why, if some of the stakes were too near the water, they took ALL OF THEM.

I realized after that we had all been effectively Cindy Loo-hooed. Something obviously triggered their removal (I have my theory) and after their removal someone realized ripping them out was a mistake (Or channel 7 inquired), and the Grinches came and patted our heads and told us all to go back to sleep.  I felt the same internal pressure not to seem to rudely incredulous when I knew I was being lied to as I did every moment of my time on the beaver subcommittee. In a way it’s comforting to recognize that the city has not changed an ounce in 8 years. Everyone always thinks I’m exaggerating.

To be fair: They didn’t remove ALL the stakes.

Only the ones in danger of living.

Saving grace of a thuggy day. Riley of the SF waterboard called on her way out of town and said that she was committed to this project, would put pressure on the city and we’d get MORE interns and ANOTHER PLANTING in the fall!

So there Grinches! Now come to Earth Day! The earth and spirit of John Muir need us!