Tag: Devon Beavers

UNSOLVED BEAVER MYSTERIES

heidi08 Beaver Art January 31, 2018

A month ago I stumbled on this illustration while searching for possible donations to the silent auction at the beaver festival. It was offered by a very unfriendly sort of woman on Etsy who told me crisply to never contact her again. Bob Kobres of Georgia found other illustrations like it, but we still didn’t know their origin. Originally I assumed it was from Canada because of the wildlife, but no Canadian I asked recognized anything about it.

I checked with the library of congress and the national archives who decided they didn’t recognize it either. That made me think it wasn’t from this hemisphere after all, so I showed to our European beaver friends. Along the way I learned how to do a reverse image google search and I looked that way as well. The only place the images came up was the etsy site I originally saw them on and our website!

Except for the bat. The bat one was offered as a card also on this website.

I contacted the owner of the sight and asked her about the image. She said she had come across it in a secondhand shop the 70’s in Massachusetts, sold as a single 9×7 print with no other information but a line of text reading “At the low dark entrance to the cave she stopped”.

She loved immediately that the girl showed no sign of fear entering the cave, because she herself was interested in encouraging more young woman to go into natural sciences. She noted it was an old yellowed print already, and reproduced it as a card.

Polly Pearhouse of the Scottish beavers group didn’t recognize the artwork but thought the clothing looked Germanic (Bavarian) especially. That prompted me to ask my German beaver contacts. Our old friend Alex Hiller wrote that he didn’t recognize it, nor did Dietland Muller-Swarze when I asked. Gerhard Schroder didn’t know. Duncan Haley of Norway agreed that it could be German but suggested any Scandinavian country also.

This brave little girl who stumbled into the forest has been all around the world in such a short time now. Everywhere she has gone people fall in love with the illustration even thought they know nothing at all about its origin. I am reminded of William Golding’s book The princess bride which opens by saying “This is my favorite book in the world, though I have never read it.”

My fondness for this mystery maiden has grown over the search, and I remain committed to resurrecting her story!

In the meantime, our friends taking care of the beavers in Devon shared this on youtube after it aired recently on the BBC. I like everything about it but the part where they examine the yearling which made me squeamish. The rest is excellent. Enjoy!

And therefore as a stranger give it welcome!

heidi08 Devon Beavers November 18, 2017

I spent yesterday getting familiar with this new ‘hood. Check out the wide column on the right, which is easy to add to and fiddle with. It’s easy to embed video or audio and even easy to link to particular pages! Notice that the images across the bar are randomized and will be different when you come back, which I very much appreciate. I love the gallery feature at the bottom margin. A girl could get used to this luxury.

Now if I could ONLY figure out how to change the lime green bars at the top. Honestly I had a nightmare about lime green once in graduate school. It is my LEAST favorite color ever invented,

Let’s visit a fellow blogger today, Philip Strange of the UK, who is very excited to have beavers living nearby, for obvious reasons.

Beavers live here! Rewilding on the River Otter in East Devon

Four years ago, a family of wild beavers were spotted on the river Otter in East Devon. This was the first report of the animal breeding successfully in the wild in England since the species had been hunted to extinction more than 400 years ago. No one knows how the animals came to be on the river but their prospering population is now the subject of a scientific trial providing a unique opportunity to monitor the re-introduction of a native species, or “rewilding” as it is sometimes called.

I wanted to find out more, so one evening in mid-September, I met Kate Ponting, Countryside Learning Officer for Clinton Devon Estates, at the village green in Otterton. Kate has been closely involved with the beaver re-introduction trial, taking place as it does on land largely owned by her employer. We headed to the river, crossed the old stone bridge and walked upstream along the muddy riverside path. Banks of Himalayan balsam and nettles dominated the river bank while, on the landward side, clover leys spread as far as the low embankment that once carried the railway. Prominent official signs warned that “Beavers live here” and Kate explained that there had been some local problems with dogs.

The river was full after recent heavy rain but the scene was tranquil in the low evening sunshine. We paused on the wooden bridge where Kate pointed out one beaver lodge, a semi-organised jumble of mud, sticks and branches protruding nearly a metre from the river bank and covering the entrance to a burrow where the beavers live. Further up the river we stopped to watch a second lodge on the far bank. Kate had warned me that the beavers had become less “reliable” as the autumn progressed and, although a wren flittered about the sticks making up the lodge and a grey wagtail passed through, we saw no beavers. Kate did, however, show me some signs of beaver activity including severed branches and one felled tree.

Don’t you just love beavers for being the same in Devon as they were in Martinez? Changing their schedules with the sun? (Or visa versa. ) Since their lives are probably not driven by alarm clocks – they probably think WE are less reliable in the fall. They are doing what they usually do, impervious to the sun or the weather. It’s us that change.

These are, however, early days and, as the number of beavers continues to rise, their presence in this managed East Devon landscape may cause tensions. There is good evidence from Bavaria, where the animals were re-introduced 50 years ago, that beavers can have a beneficial influence on rivers. They support wildlife by opening up the landscape, creating coppice and diversifying the wetland habitat. Their dams regulate river flows and remove sediment and pollutants. Sometimes, however, they can be a nuisance to those who live and work by rivers, causing flooding, blocking ditches, undermining river banks and felling important trees. There are now as many as 20,000 beavers on Bavaria’s rivers and their beneficial effects are clearly recognised alongside the need to manage the animals when their activity has a negative impact. Hopefully, a similar resolution can be reached for the East Devon beavers as their population grows. Whatever the outcome, the River Otter Beaver Trial will be closely watched by those interested in “rewilding” the landscape.

Evidence out of Bavaria? How about out of EVERYWHERE? But sure, okay, Bavaria too. Beavers are good for streams. Period. And any stream without several is broken and needs fixing. Fortunately for us all, beavers don’t hold a grudge. They will happily recolonize the same waters where they were persecuted for centuries.

The Kids alright

heidi08 Beaver Chewing, Beavers and water, City Reports, Friends of Martinez Beavers, Who's Killing Beavers Now?, Who's saving beavers now? December 23, 2015

Or should I say “Kit’s”?

**“Gave proof through the night, that our beavers were still there.”**

Picture proves beavers still thriving in Devon

In November the BBC reported the concerns of some local people that they had not had sightings of beavers on the River Otter for some weeks. This ‘disappearance’ was then reported by national newspapers. However, Devon Wildlife Trust has now come forward with evidence which shows that the beavers are still there, although they may have relocated their homes, known as lodges, along the river.

Devon Wildlife Trust is leading the River Otter Beaver Trial – a five year study of what is believed to be the first population of breeding beavers living wild in the English countryside for several centuries. The charity has said that it is currently monitoring four ‘active areas’ along the river where it has seen fresh evidence of the beavers’ presence.

Mark Elliott is the Trial’s manager and said:

“We knew the beavers had not ‘disappeared’ but it’s good to be able to report recent evidence showing that they are still active on the river. Beavers are mobile animals and it’s quite common for them to shift their lodges and feeding grounds. There’s lots of room for beavers on this river so it’s unsurprising that they have relocated from the places that we saw them last spring and summer.”

Whooo hoo! I’m a sucker for any story that has a chapter about missing beavers that suddenly show themselves to be doing just fine, thank you very much. Winter is a notoriously hard time to see beavers, whether they’re in Martinez or Napa or Devon. But it’s good to see sign, and it’s not very often that the media prints a photo of a beaver chewed tree with such joy. What a pleasure!

“As we move into the New Year and the daylight hours lengthen beavers will be active at dusk and dawn. If people do see them then it’s important they let us know so that we can get a clearer picture of the beavers’ numbers and locations.”

People with information can let the charity know if they see a beaver via email on beavers@devonwildlifetrust.org with details of the date, time, exact location and whether the beaver has a coloured ear tag.

The River Otter Beaver Trial receives no government funding. Devon Wildlife Trust is urging people to offer their support via its website

I’m pretty sure it’s good luck to drop a little coin in their beaver fountain and make a wish for Martinez beavers to show up too. In the mean time let’s just remember that beavers show themselves in mysterious ways and have a merry christmas!

Meanwhile the New Jersey whiners are still complaining about beavers. Apparently the free help they received from BWW and Beaver Solutions just wasn’t help-y enough. And they need more deadly assistance right away.

Beavers’ Dams Flood Toms River Neighborhood

“Killing animals because we find them inconvenient should not be an option. Beavers are clever, industrious, family-oriented animals and necessary to the ecosystem and we now know it is possible to live beside them without conflict,” said Veronica Van Hof, executive director of Unexpected Wildlife Refuge.

The two most widely-used trapping methods are inefficient and inhuman, she said. As a result of the meeting with officials, she learned the township will likely use a trap that drowns the beaver or another that crushes the animal, snapping its neck.

**Politicians Discussing Climate Change: Isaac Cordal**

Sometimes when you throw the drowning man a rope he says, no not THAT rope. I want the other one. To tell the truth, I’m not really hopeful for Tom’s River. They’re just going to keep pushing headlines that say “beavers are flooding us” until the day after Christmas when they can start trapping. But it’s good that Veronica is cutting her teeth so to speak. Now she needs to learn to stop saying nice things and start saying THIS WILL SAVE YOU MONEY. Which is also true and slightly harder to ignore.

Not that cities can’t choose to ignore anything they wish, of course.

This new short film will answer a lot of questions about what’s been going on near highway 37, it’s 5 days old and nicely made. We’re hoping they’re kind to beavers that show up. But the SLT has lots of beaver friends in their ranks. So I’m optimistic.

Enjoy.

Eager for Beavers

heidi08 Beavers and Birds, Beavers and Frogs, Beavers and salmon, Beavers and trout, Beavers and water, Who's saving beavers now? March 12, 2015

Devon’s wild beavers one step closer to freedom

Campaigners are waiting with bated breath for the results of testing which will determine the future of Britain’s wild beaver colony.

Four adult beavers from the River Otter group have successfully been captured and tested for a range of diseases which will dictate whether they can remain in their North Devon habitat.

The tests were carried out on Monday and initial examinations have confirmed that the animals are free of Echinococcus multilocularis (EM) – a disease which has the potential to be harmful to humans.

Although the results of further mandatory tests have not yet come back, a spokesman for the Devon Wildlife Ttrust said they expect them to be returned “very soon”.

I love the flower-child picture. It’s perfect for the occasion. This news just sparkles to me, like sunlight on the water. It means not only did the residents of Devon successfully FORCE DEFRA to change course on the beavers, but the farmers also kept their whereabouts hidden until they did so, and now the beavers are successfully found, trapped and tested as if by magic! The inevitability of beavers in England is looming closer and closer. And to top it off I received this Email from Derek Gow this morning:

Hi Heidi – sorry away for the last few days. Basically the situation is this – 5 beavers captured 2 pairs plus a single kit from a litter of three with one pair. The other pair has a remaining single kit on the river. There are another 2 known kits on the river plus a 2 year old which has not been captured so total is 4 adults, 1 2 year old and 4 kits. The adults were screened for EM on Monday and don’t have it. We now have permission for their rerelease and are waiting for a final blood test for Bovine TB prior to releasing them back into their territories.

We are assembling another 2 unrelated pairs now for release in the summer to bolster this population. So all so far so good. One of the senior govt chaps who we had a big fight with a year ago came with his wife on Saturday and said how pleased he was now that this project which he thinks could make a real difference in now proceeding. Its all therefore pretty cheerful at the moment.

I was going to get in touch to thank you again Heidi for inviting us to what turned out to be a remarkable conference. We are really looking seriously at having a beaver festival in Ottery this year to celebrate their return. Would there be any chance you could send me your presentation with if poss an explanation of what you did as I would like to show it to the folk who may help ?

BW and thanks again !!! Derek

In my years as beaver cheerleader I’ve helped many cities push towards a new way of thinking on beavers, and even inspired some beaver festivals in Utah, Maine, Colorado and Canada. But this is THE BEST NEWS i’ve ever had the joy of contributing to. Beavers ready for release and cheerful good will from the officials is the best possible outcome. And I cannot WAIT to put together a slide show that Derek can share with folks in Devon to think about a beaver festival in Ottery.

Wouldn’t you want to go?

This good news follows hard on the heels of a very successful talk at the Salmonid conference yesterday. The water-defenders gathered there were all creek champions of the highest order, folks boldly understanding what it means to both compromise and challenge for 20 years at a time, turning concrete trapezoidal channels into living streams and looking at the world like an intricate patchwork quilt identifiable by watersheds.

They had all accomplished a lot and knew a lot and knew enough to look forward to beavers. The new Contra Costa flood control fellow (replacing the one who had served on the beaver subcommittee) was actually presenting at the conference, and got to hear my talk as well! Riley’s role in the workshop was such that she was both revered by everyone and enthusiastically glad I was there so I had every possible platform to start from. And my talk was very well received with more laughter, oohs and ahhs in more places than I have run into yet. There were eager questions, happy praise and one fellow promised to trade off two adult salmon for a pair of adult beavers. The man after me began his talk by bemoaning his fate at being put on the schedule having to follow “the best presentation of the day”.

I was very happy. We pretty much beamed our way home.

It was a successful but fairly exhausting day, and I’m looking forward to a very, very quiet weekend. Here’s hoping that any more good news about beavers decides to wait a day or two before jumping into the pile. I think I need the rest.

The lead photo and suffusing good mood just call for this soundtrack. Change the lyrics to “They call me Eager Beaver” and you have a eco-hit just waiting to happen.

Rally and Defend

heidi08 Beavers and Birds, Beavers and Frogs, Beavers and salmon, Beavers and trout, City Reports, Creative Solutions, Environmental, featured, Friends of Martinez Beavers, Who's saving beavers now? January 4, 2015

“Race against time” to raise £20,000 needed to secure beaver family’s future on River Otter

AFTER staggering £30,000 was raised in three weeks, a leading conservation charity is appealing for help to raise the remaining £20,000 needed to secure the future of a family of River Otter wild beavers.

A public meeting has been arranged by Natural England in Ottery St Mary this month and public support has been dubbed “vital” in securing their return to the river banks near the town. Backed by East Devon MP Hugo Swire, the Devon Wildlife Trust applied for a licence from Natural England for their re-release in October.

The licence would give the charity permission to set up a five year monitoring project called the River Otter Beaver Trial. The project will oversee the population, range and health of the beavers and the effect they have on the local landscape and people.

It will focus on the beavers’ impact on wildlife, vegetation, water flow, water quality, communities and infrastructure. But it will cost around £50,000.

Devon is leaping into action to save its beavers, and I couldn’t be happier. As I am that beaver instigator Derek Gow will be coming with Paul and Louise Ramsay to the State of The Beaver Conference! We might even lure them over for a barbecue when its all finished.

Let it be clearly said that it all started with the farmer who had the foresight to let an environmentalist install a night cam. None of this would have been possible without that. People care about what they can see. And the media never does anything without a good photo. These were the very best beaver photos in 5 centuries. Think about that.

We have had a number of donations, some as large as several thousand pounds, and this shows the depth of feeling out there.

“But we now have a race against time to secure the remaining amount to ensure a viable longer term project and enhance the chances of the beavers having a longer term future on the River Otter.”

The public meeting will take place on Wednesday, January 14, at 6.30pm, Ottery St Mary Scout Centre on Winters Lane.

You can add to their donations here:

the countryside of my ancestors, and I hope that meeting is even more crowded than the first. But in my head – from a strictly pragmatic view – it has been wonderful for beavers everywhere that DEFRA has been such monstrous idiots about this whole process. I have loved reading people extol beaver benefits from all over Europe and even Australia. Having something to prove has been amazing for the beaver public image. I’ll almost be sorry to see it go.

Almost.

I’m looking forward to what happens next. In the mean time, I spent yesterday working on adding a Napa section to my urban beaver talk for Oregon. Rusty Cohn was kind enough to give me great photos and I think it shows elegantly the vibrant effect of beavers on a neglected city creek.