Lodge

Event brochure Interior: Libby Corliss, Graphic Designer

A full house of friendly environmental faces awaits at this weekends festival. The displays were arranged primarily to keep the wildlife folks under the shade and worth a dam in all four corners. i think it’s come together fairly well, and have actually come to love how the little park suddenly becomes a crowded market place like something out of the 16th century or a Martinez Renaissance Faire. Music will be played in the center square, (where the notes are) and the procession will walk from east to west to hang the banner over the footbridge. Not sure where the Morris dancers will decide to perform but follow the sound of bells to keep track of them.

We had a great write-up from Bay City News yesterday, and NBC picked it up. A few people told me they heard us announced on KGO and KFOG and I’m very happy about that. In my whimsical moments I imagine that no one will bother coming and I’ll be left sitting alone for 5 hours staring at a pleistocene era beaver skull. But maybe Worth a dam members will occupy ourselves with a massive puppet show with all the donations from Folkmanis for the silent auction. I’m thinking an “Off Broadway production of the town that found a way” or maybe something with an evil lawyer tying beavers to the railroad tracks and a manly hero from Vermont saving them. Now that would be fun.

Yesterday was a little burst of beaver energy. First there was the trip to our good friends at Folkmanis who donated a bag of truly delightful puppets for sunday’s Art in the Park Raffle. If you aren’t familiar with their merchandise pick up any wildlife puppet at a bird store or museum and you will see their handiwork. I have been enamored of their creations since my first alligator puppet purchased way back in graduate school. Now my office looks like a showroom and I am thrilled they count themselves among our supporters.

A second burst of excitement came in the form of a request from the EPA to use my photos in a free educational calendar. Not sure how the EPA (and this particular division in Southern CA) came to see our beaver web page, but its good news all the same. The visibility of these beavers have been their surest protection. A few hundred more pairs of eyes are always welcome.

Less positive (but still enormously helpful) news came from the Lindsay Museum whom I had approached about the possibility of treating wild raccoons for roundworm parasites. Turns out even if they could be dosed the treatment would need to be repeated every two weeks forever. Outside a host body roundworm can survive for many years and any partial treatment of a raccoon might make the infestation more resistant to medication. Nearly all raccoons carry their parasite and there is no way we are going to prevent them from transmitting it to our beavers. Fortunately, most animals can and do recover, but we are going to have some casualties. The well-meaning people who feed the cats along the lost path inadvertently contribute: the raccoons consistently stop to eat the cat food, spreading their parasites to cats and beavers alike.

Speaking of cats in the “lost” trail, there’s a new stripped resident that definitely isn’t feral and has been purring about and allowing himself to be stroked by visitors to the fallen tree. This was most likely an abandoned house pet, and he’s on the lookout for a new home. If you are considering adding a kitty to your life, why not let destiny give you the kitty that comes from the beavers? I’m sure he’d make someone a lovely pet.