BEAVERSPRITE PASSES HANDS

heidi08 Beaver ecological impact April 14, 2020

The Utica Zoo in New York is proudly boasting of its recent acquisition of the Beaver Sanctuary outside Doldgeville, Florence J. Reineman Nature Center and Beaversprite Wildlife Sanctuary! It was the labor of love for Dorothy back in the day and the site where countless children learned about beavers over the years. Now it will be part of the zoo’s many projects, still dedicated to wetlands and their many residents.

Utica Zoo acquires beaver sanctuary

A Fulton County site dedicated to restoring and advocating for beaver populations has been acquired by the Utica Zoo.

The Florence J. Reineman Nature Center and Beaversprite Wildlife Sanctuary is a decades-old area in the rural town of Oppenheim founded by a local couple.

The Utica Zoo has plans to reopen the nature center, as well as the home of Dorothy and Al Richards as Beaversprite: A Conservation Education Center of the Utica Zoo. The zoo said it will offer a range of STEAM-based education programs for school, families, Scouts, and learners of all ages and abilities.

The zoo made the announcement April 7, annually celebrated as the International Day of the North American Beaver, as well as being Dorothy Richards’ birthdate.

Well we can only hope the zoo gets things off on the right foot. It’s a great opportunity to educate another generation on the benefits of beaver. I think there was always an issue with Dorothy’s heir fighting the will for the 900 acres and this is probably the safest solution although it must feel a little wistful to Owen and Sharon Brown who knew Dorothy personally and learned directly from her about why beavers matter.

Dorothy Richards, aka the “Beaver woman,” took an interest in the industrious creatures and soon began her 50 years of beaver pond sitting. She became an active conservationist and animal rights advocate, devoting most of her life to the study of the American beaver, the zoo said.

In 1938, after one of the original beavers was caught in a trap, Richards started buying up land and posting it, creating the sanctuary, according to the zoo. In 1966, the Richards donated their house and 900 acres to a Pennsylvania trust. It continued to add to the property and in 1973 opened a nature center. Dorothy Richards taught about 100,000 visitors about beavers over five decades and her book, “Beaversprite,” reached many more, according to Times Union files. Richards died in August 1985 at the age of 92.

Good luck new beginning! I hope lots of children learn the truth from you.

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BEAVERSPRITE NEEDS YOU

heidi08 Beavers or Social Ambasadors, Who's saving beavers now? October 13, 2018

*“Dorothy Richards, the Beaver Woman who founded Beaversprite Sanctuary, with Nicky, her last in-house beaver”*

Beaversprite Nature Center is the magical educational retreat created by Dorothy Richards in a small town in Upstate New York. Dorothy is the heroine of the Beaversprite book that worked so tirelessly to better understand and explain our favorite animal, The dynamic learning space (complete with a ‘crawl-through’ beaver lodge) she left as her legacy suffered from mismanagement and needs your help getting back on its feet.

From Sharon Brown at Beavers: Wetlands and Wildlife.

Sign a Petition to Reopen the Sanctuary/Save Beaversprite Sanctuary and Dorothy Richards’ Dream

More signatures on the Sanctuary Petitionare vital now as we’re seeking a PA pro bono enviro atty. to help our NY atty. with her appeal to a PA Right-to Know law denial — for the PA AG’s Sanctuary file — that documents the ErdmanTrustee’s plans to sell Beaversprite (Reineman) Sanctuary. This, despite wildlife having been protected at the Sanctuary and the public was educated there, according to the wills of the sanctuary’s donors, Dorothy & Florence Edman for over 70 years!!

Your support will help them keep this dream alive. The petition has a stirring collection of remarks from supporters like this one:

Mrs. Susan Pedrick – Second Grade Teacher, Oppenheim-Ephratah-St. Johnsville CSD says: I teach 2nd grade at Oppenheim Ephratah St. Johnsville school. I visited the Sanctuary for many years. I have lots of pictures of the group’s visits. It was a very educational and child friendly setting. Children loved the trip and learned a great deal. I probably went there 7 or 8 years as our field trip. I did not know it had closed. How sad. It had Saturday night shows all summer free to the public with wonderful live animal programs.

Sign the Petition

Did you sign it? I did. If you sign it I’ll give you reward. Go sign, share it with three friends, and then watch this and think of the woman who was smart enough to live with beavers. Because awwwww…

And you thought you’d read it all…

heidi08 Beaver Behavior, Beavers elsewhere, Who's saving beavers now? December 26, 2014

Scottish beavers break tradition with wife-swapping

Beavers are known for their monogamy and mating for life.

But when two pairs were introduced to the wild west coast of Scotland, they let standards slip and promptly indulged in a partner-swap.

The five-year Scottish Beaver Trial was held in Knapdale Forest in mid-Argyll, and beavers remain in the area. Field operations manager for the trial, Roisin Campbell-Palmer, said: “During the monitoring period one of the interesting observations was that two pairs swapped partners.

“Beavers usually mate for life, however these were all young adults encouraged to form pairs either in captivity prior to release or at the release site after the loss of an original mate.

“When given the freedom to choose a mate on their own, they obviously preferred a different arrangement.

All of Europe is shocked, SHOCKED I tell you, that beavers would rather pick their own life partner than let some skinny Norwegian tech assign one randomly for them. Hand them the smelling salts and the fainting couches. I, for one am not in the least surprised. First of all, how do we know this was wife-swapping? Beavers societies are matriarchal in structure, so wouldn’t it be better to call this a a case of “husband-swapping” instead?

Second of all, I remember Sharon Brown of Beavers: Wetlands and Wildlife advising me once that Dorothy Richards had been surprised when a female beaver she wanted to have kits turned down the mate she introduced and picked her own. We can only wonder why. “His dams were uneven? He snored in the lodge? His Castoreum smelled funny?” We might never know. But we at least know this.

Beavers like to make their OWN decisions. (They are not unlike people in this regard.)

“This is actually a natural and positive outcome as animals selecting their own partners are shown to have strong pair bonds and higher reproductive rates.”

The beavers – who came from Norway – were obviously happy with their new companions because soon one of the pairs bred for the first time, and the other female was suspected of being pregnant, although no kits were ever seen.

International Beaver Day – From NY to AZ

heidi08 Beaver-themed merchandise, Beavers elsewhere, Creative Solutions, Educational, Environmental, featured, Festival April 7, 2014

From Beavers:Wetlands and Wildlife

April 7 was chosen as International #BeaverDay because it is the birthday of pioneering naturalist and wildlife advocate Dorothy Richards. She was born on this day in 1894 in Little Falls, NY and founded Beaversprite Sanctuary just upstream near Dolgeville, NY. She lived well into her 90s, and she would have turned 120 this year. You can order a copy of her inspiring autobiography, “Beaversprite: My Years Building an Animal Sanctuary,” from BWW’s website.

Nice! A great day to remember Dorothy and the good work beavers do. Of course, when I see reminders of beaver day I honestly think to myself, “Just a day?” Our beavers celebrated Beaver day by not showing up last night OR this morning. I’m sure there are many, many cast parties for them to attend, but a little visit would have been polite.

It was rumored into my ear that the trailer for the beaver believers movie would be released today. Sadly, there is nothing so far. I imagine Sarah on the floor in her film closet with a pencil behind her ear buried in Final Cut making last minute changes. Maybe later today? Until then enjoy this lovely film from Arizona of Walt Andersen from Prescott University. I think Walt needs to be a Worth A Dam friend very soon.

BS With Highest Honors, Wildlife Biology, Washington State University, 1968

MS, Wildlife Biology, University of Arizona, 1974

PhD Candidate, Resource Ecology, University of Michigan, 1976 (all but dissertation)

Walt is an expert in field identification of plants and animals, in teaching ecological concepts and natural history, and in group dynamics. He has written manuals for tour guides and safari guides for clients. He co-founded the West Butte Sanctuary Company and founded the Sutter Buttes Naturalists, which evolved into the Middle Mountain Foundation in the Sutter Buttes of California. He was one of the pioneers of ecotourism in the US and internationally (led first US ecotourism trip to national parks of Brazil, first trip to Madagascar for major donors of the World Wildlife Fund, etc.). He also has experience with publishing and is a compulsive and detail-oriented editor. In addition, he is a wildlife painter and illustrator and has published hundreds of photographs in many places. He loves using his images and words to interpret nature for audiences of any size.

Nature Deficit

heidi08 Environmental July 10, 2009

I normally wouldn’t even write about the crushingly sad story of the 75 year old Ohio woman who beat a fawn to death with a shovel in her garden, but something about the neighbors protective response gave me just enough ire to over come the head-shaking and actually type. Lets just assume that the woman’s actions can be explained by some form of dementia, but every person in her neighborhood could not be suffering the same degree of alzheimer’s. Obviously those neighbors saw or heard something of the thwacking assault and clearly did nothing — not even call over the back of the fence to ask what the hell she was doing. Apparently the fawn-killer in question has already retained an attorney to protect her from what could be, at its most severe, a 1000 fine.

1000 dollars to kill a fawn? It’s a bargain really. It was this quote that dropped my jaw,

“She shoved it on the shoulder and the deer fell over,” said another neighbor, who has spoken to Richardson and did not want to give her name.”You have to understand where she comes from – she’s a country girl.”

A country girl! I guess out there in the country they must stand around in rings whacking fawns with shovels on Saturday nights when traffic is slow. It’s not like “country folk” would know better, or have any greater understanding of nature. No thought that being a country girl might teach you that a fawn isn’t weaned yet so it isn’t even going to eat your precious tulips, or that whacking it in the head with a shovel might upset your neighbors or be considered cruel, (or you know, INSANE). Certainly no thought that finding a fawn in your ferns is a sign of divine blessing from the natural world, and the gravest compliment on your gardening care.

Sigh.

This story is so sad. If the woman was truly afraid it even makes it sadder. What it should make us ask is why are we doing such a bad job as a society of teaching each other how to live with the natural world? What a sorrowful testimony on the state of wildlife in Ohio to think that the presence of bambi could terrify an old woman. She was ten when Bambi came out, by the way. It’s impossible that she didn’t see it. Unlikely that she didn’t cry.