First Night Martinez Beavers

Or is that kits in arms? Looks like Worth A Dam has crawled slowly from bastard child status, past step-child status, to the once-envied status of intended offspring! (Can favored son be far behind?) Our First Night presence will now be indoors, probably at Telfer Hall. There will be a formal presentation with slides and video at 7, 8, 9 and 10, as well as an ongoing art project, beaver display and “virtual tour”. If all goes well we’ll get lights next year and actual touring conditions, and in the meantime we’ll stay warm and cozy.

The hard work is all done. Now we just got a show to put together.

[youtube:http://youtube.com/watch?v=2uLarextbjo&feature=related]

In the mean time, stop by and give some thanks to longtime friend Gary Bogue, whose website displayed his Martinez Beavers Christmas card today.

God bless us every one!

Beaver tours officially added to first night schedule! Looks like we’ve arrived and we need helpers. The webpage stats tell me that there were 754 page views to this website in the last 24 hours. Maybe a couple of you loyal readers could help out for an hour? We’ll provide the background and coffee. You provide energy, warm clothes and your enthusiasm to teach others about the beavers.

Think it over.

The Martinez Beavers have made a local splash both in the community and the media. Currently a family of eight resides in two lodges near Bertola’s at the Escobar bridge. A year ago the city hired expert Skip Lisle from Vermont to build a flow device that would control the height of the dam. This allowed downtown merchants to feel more secure and averted the possibility it would trigger flooding.

The beavers responded to their smaller pond by building a series of “secondary dams” downstream towards the railroad tracks. This increased their foraging area and gave them access to other foods. The beavers are visible most nights, when they can be seen pursuing their regular diet of willows and tulles.

Worth A Dam is dedicated to maintaining the Martinez Beavers through responsible stewardship, creative problem-solving, community involvement and education. It is associated with the 501(c) 3 non-profit organization Land for Urban Wildlife. The tour will visit their dams and lodges, help explain any beaver behavior you might see, and introduce you to our cast of nocturnal characters in Alhambra Creek.

Tours begin at 6:30 in the parking lot behind the Bulldog BBQ run every half hour until 11.