The beavers are on the warpath in North Carolina, kicking ass and taking names building dams and taking trees along the 70 mile stretch from Cary to Greensboro. This picture was snapped by someone enjoying Bond Park and sent to a columnist who wrote that the beavers were ‘being relocated’, which I’m sure you understand as well as I do. (You know like when your parents told you that puppy went to ‘live on the farm’.)
I did a little searching for the Beaver Man and found the number is linked to the home of a 77 year old man in Stantonsburg NC. No business listing but his (?) son is listed as the rifle safety coordinator for the North Carolina Trappers Association, so that’s nice. Gosh, I can’t tell you how surprised I am that someone with the name ‘beaver man‘ on his truck turns out to be a trapper!
Well apparently they have lots of feelings about beavers in NC because look at this clip from Greensboro where they are worried that beavers will ruin their water quality.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but are you saying that this town rips out beaver dams over and over, tipping mud and silt and debris into the water again and again and then worries about water quality? Apparently the terms ’cause’ and ‘effect’ are not well understood in the area. Dear, challenged Greensboro. Don’t you know that beaver dams are sometimes called the ‘earth’s kidneys‘ because their filtering actually improves water quality?
Well, the benefits of beavers bandwagon may not have reached North Carolina yet, but it certainly has been making the rounds. Yesterday I received a call from Guelph, Ontario about printing my letter to the editor, a call from Maine from someone who wanted to save some beavers in the city park and start their own beaver festival there, and an email from Kentucky where a certain young stopmotion filmmaker we are fond of spent an hour with a reporter walking through bulldozed beaver habitat and talking about their benefits to the ecosystem.
To paraphrase for our friends in North Carolina: the arc of restoration may be long but it bends towards beavers!
If you ever had the odd [mis] fortune of being responsible for several children at once, you must have noticed that there was that *one* child who would always cause dramatic misdeeds and even when confronted at the very moment his hand was in the cookie jar or her fingers were on the kitten’s tail or actually removing money from your wallet (what the Catholics would call In flagrante delicto) and we would more generally describe as caught RED-HANDED said child would look at you with a mixture of innocence and indignation and say “What????“
Apparently this philosophy has figured heavily in the civic minds of St. Matthews, where they spent most of yesterday writing back folks that they
A) had been misunderstood and falsely accused
B) knew nothing at all about what happened
C) knew something about what happened but surely never harmed the beavers in any way
D) upon reflection may have ripped the dam but never flattened the lodge and
E) oh you mean flat area in the photo with the bulldozer tracks on it?
At no point did a responsible politician, with the sincerest interest in his community, step gallantly forward and say, yes I requested this thing be done for the good of our citizens. Or widows and orphans. Or whatever. It honestly made me think of this sketch, which when I saw it so many years ago I assumed was an exaggeration. I would encourage you to watch it again count how many times Palin’s character is willing to lie, obstruct, distract and generally excuse his behavior. I count 12 if you don’t include the possible effort to derail the complaint with a gender argument at the beginning.
Obviously, we can’t all respond like this grand master to an assorted-chocolate-box of bald-faced lies. Sometimes robustly delivered lies can take our breath and leave us sputtering in disbelief, looking around for a witness, or wondering if we possibly misunderstood. Obviously It’s going to require the spirit of John Cleese to get these folks at St. Matthews to fess up to what was probably a phone call to public works and a discrete request to ‘Bubba’ to take care of the problem, knowing full well what he would be likely do.
In the meantime your heart can be consoled by this remarkable tale of kindness to beavers, weirdly from the middle of beaver-killing Nova Scotia, where a family of beavers moved into the ditch behind a River John home and was apparently welcomed with open – er- apples!
The video actually makes me a little anxious, but their heart is clearly in the right place and the story could soften public attitudes in a very beaver phobic region….sooo…..
Sunday I received a beaver SOS from our favorite stop-motion movie maker in Kentucky. The beaver habitat he had been enjoying in the nearby city of St. Matthews – which he watched for inspiration to his series – had been completely destroyed, the lodge bulldozed, and the dams ripped out. Ian was horrified and dismayed to think that the happy family he had been enjoying had been ruthlessly killed.
On the left is the beaver lodge just a few weeks ago. On the right is the lodge after it was bulldozed. It was completely flattened and there is nothing left of it. — at Arthur K. Draut park.
Mind you the city of St. Matthews discussed the beavers at the city council meeting before, pledging in 2010 to relocate them and the mayor Bernie Bowling Jr. personally promised that ‘no harm would come to them’.
The beavers are back at Arthur K. Draut Park. Mayor Bowling will have someone come and remove them. Several people have inquired about being allowed to safely capture the beavers, so that they can be released in another remote location. The mayor and city council are concerned about the extensive damage that is and can continue to be done by these animals. However, it is the city’s intent to not harm the beavers in any way.
But I guess with growing inflation, a promise doesn’t mean what it use to mean anymore. I thought you might want to read what folks wrote the mayor and city council and maybe add your own voice to the outrage. Ian is a good friend to the beavers, and a good friend of ours. Your well-written letter will support him and educate the city to help make sure this never happens again.
Dear Sir, it was a sad day to open an email and find that a decision was made to remove your resident beavers in such a heinous fashion, might I add that these very beavers and your city are known worldwide through the works of young Ian Timothy. Is this the example of humanity we want to send our children and neighbors. Perhaps you should look at the influences of John James Audubon and what that has meant to the great State of Kentucky, what might have been his thoughts concerning this. We live on the west coast of the U.S. and already we have heard about this, it will be worldwide before the day is done.
There is some question to as whether the beavers were harmed and you are quoted “That no harm will come to these beavers”, are you prepared to share with the world how that was accomplished? We hope that future such actions would be more carefully planned so that you and your city will be held in high regards.
Leonard and LoisBeaver Advocacy CommitteeTiller, OR Dear Honorable Bowling,
It is truly unfortunate that you directed the removal of the beaver dam and the eradication of the beavers at Arthur K. Draut Park. Not only have you killed beavers and ruined your credibility as a progressive ‘green’ community leader, but you have also associated City Councilman Arthur Draut’s name with their slaughter, especially with the killing of a pregnant female beaver. The park’s name and reputation, yours, and Councilman Draut’s are damaged.
Did you believe others would forget your promise that, “no harm will come to them”? This choice is even more difficult to comprehend considering your description of this lovely park on the City of St. Matthews’ own government website:
Arthur K. Draut Park – Other amenities in Community Park include: A walking path with creek crossing bridges, stone benches, limited wooded areas, along with dedicated wetlands complete with cattails, water grasses and assorted wild life. The flow of historic Beargrass Creek meandering through this park makes this site pleasing to athletes and naturalists.
I doubt naturalists will be pleased now knowing beavers were killed. Dedicated wetlands with their assorted wildlife rarely thrive without the one creature that ensures the health of their ecosystem – a beaver.
There are proven solutions to concerns of flooding created by beaver dams. Successful installation of flow devices control pond height and resolve flooding for years. When beavers are present at a dam, their territorial behavior will discourage other beavers from remaining. Trees can be protected by wire-wrapping or painting with sand. The abrasive texture discourages beavers and is an inexpensive and visually undisruptive solution.
I am sickened further that Ian Timothy – an award winning filmmaker who was inspired by the beavers at Arthur K. Draut Park – must now realize just how cruel and dishonorable leaders in the City of St. Matthews can be. As an author of eco-literary novels for young readers, I am at a loss as to how this murderous act can be explained to my young readers, especially when there are so many enlightened and caring choices that you could have made to protect the beavers and salvage their valuable contribution to the park.
I visited Kentucky many times, and remember the parks there as beautiful and picturesque, and the people as gracious, intelligent, and caring. If your actions represent Kentucky, then my opinion can only be changed for the worse. I hope this is not the case.
Mayor Bowling, you owe your community an apology and Ian Timothy an apology. You also owe an apology to all those families with children who visited Arthur K. Draught Park and loved the beavers, their dam, and their habitat. However, you owe an explanation to conservationists who truly are shocked by your decision and the ensuing actions. But more than an apology and an explanation – if you are to remain in a position of leadership – you must pledge to follow the excellent suggestions made to you by eco-systems experts such as Dr. Perryman and other conservationists who understand the critical importance of beavers in our communities, even if you do not. And after you make this public pledge, these recommendations must be put into practice.
Looking forward to hearing from you, and seeing the reputation of the City of St. Matthews repaired.
Best regards, Jo Marshall Jo Marshall, Twig Stories www.twigstories.com Snohomish, Washington
I want to express my displeasure on hearing that the city of St. Matthews felt the need to destroy the beavers and their habitat at Arthur K. Draut Park. There are many other options available now for controlling any flooding and other worries when beavers move into an area, and it would have been to your advantage to look into these solutions. Another family of beavers will move in again and you then will be faced with this situation again.
Recently I had the opportunity to meet Ian Timothy, who is from your area. Ian is a very talented claymationist and the creator of the Beaver Creek series. He was on his way to the Wild & Scenic Film Festival in Nevada City, CA where his series was featured. Ian shared with us the pictures that he has taken of the beavers and the habitat they have created in Arthur K. Druat Park. Today I received the new pictures that he took of the destruction that your city has now created.
In our small town we have learned to live with our beaver family that moved into our downtown creek in 2006. We have controlled the water flow and have painted many trees to discourage any beaver damage to them. Our creek now is home to many different birds, fish, otters and even mink. The beavers also have become a tourist attraction as they are so visible, and they are famous through out the world.
I do hope in the future if another family of beavers come to make their home in your park, the city will be ready with the many solutions to keep their beavers and enjoy the beautiful habitat they will create.
Lory BrunoMartinez,CA
I was sorry to learn that St. Matthews decided to destroy the beavers and habitat at the park after specifically promising in your December 14th 2010 meeting not to harm them. “However, it is the city’s intent to not harm the beavers in any way.” As it is March the mother in this colony would have been pregnant, which mean you killed unborn kits as well.
Besides upsetting prominent and not-so-prominent members of your community, you might worry about the misuse of tax payer dollars when you are forced to repeat a failed solution year after year. Removing beavers (whether by relocating or trapping) is a short term solution that will need to be repeated and paid for again when new beavers move into adequate habitat. The successful installation of a flow device will control pond height and resolve flooding for many years. Allowing the beavers to remain will let them use their territorial behaviors to keep others away.Trees can be protected by wirewrapping (not chicken!) or painting with sand. The abrasive texture discourages beavers and is an inexpensive, visually undisruptive solution.
I’m sure that any city that values green solutions is aware that beaver chewing of trees also produces a natural coppice cutting – an old forestry term that refers to hard cutting a tree so that it grows back denser and more bushy. This ultimately provides ideal nesting habitat for migratory and songbirds. You must also be aware of the significant habitat beavers provide for young fish and the recent fines in Alabama where a beaver dam removal destroyed habitat for the endangered watercress darter.
You may not know that these beavers were specifically watched and enjoyed by your local residents, one of which (prominent young filmmaker Ian Timothy) relied on them for inspiration in his award winning stop-motion beaver creek series, honored this year at the Wild & Scenic film festival in Nevada, the Environmental Film Film Festival in Colorado, and at your own festival in Kentucky! In addition to apologizing to Ian for this cruel and senseless act, the city should work with him to develop a humane beaver management policy for the future. In our low-lying city beaver activity required a flow device which has controlled flooding for 5 years, and the dams have exciting new fish and wildlife. We now regularly see heron, steelhead, otter and even mink in our tiny urban creek!
There are lots of reasons to do beaver management correctly, and many proven tools at your disposal. I hope that in the future the city of St. Matthews can “see the forest for the trees”.
Heidi Perryman, Ph.DPresident & FounderWorth A Damwww.martinezbeavers.org/wordpress
The right honorable mayor has a lot of reading to do. I know he also got letters from Utah, Massachusetts and Florida, but I’m sure he still has time to read yours, and maybe Twig’s….Ian?
This has been a good week to be a beaver advocate, and Friday is no exception. We are, apparently, still in the “good beaver news’ eddy. This first example is from this month’s issue of the Estuary Newsletter. I asked our friend Lisa Owens Viani who USED to be the editor how it got in there. Apparently Riley (That’s Ann Riley of the most famous creek restoration book ever written) nudged it into the attention of the new editor.Ahh thanks for the nice mention. I can’t wait for there to be a regular beaver column describing where colonies are on the move!
“Beaver Creek” episodes tell gentle stories about Twigs the beaver and his friends. Timothy’s inspiration for the series came from his interest in beavers and their beneficial effects on Kentucky waterways.
“I’m showing what happens in nature and being an advocate for the beavers, which some people don’t seem to like even though they’re such good animals,” Timothy said. “They do a lot for our watersheds, creeks and wetlands.”
Oh Ian, you are such a fantastic white knight for beavers! I am so happy that our paths crossed and grateful to know you. The entirethree page article is an excellent look at the festival which will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act. Great work as always Ian!
This next story means as much to me as any I think I’ve ever written about. I would have embedded the video for you to watch but KCRA apparently doesn’t want me to. Click on the picture to go to a video of the meeting and the story of how residents of the four seasons are in conflict about the beaver(s). (I don’t think there’s any way we’re just talking about one beaver!) See if you can identify the very moment where I burst into happy tears.
Isn’t that amazing? Must see TV! And the reporters jibe at the end means that he has learned a lesson or two from Martinez. Did you find my moment? It’s from Jerry and it refers to the useless massacre at Elk Grove just 5 years ago. That was happening at the same time our own beaver story was getting complicated, and I was literally heartbroken when a story in the Sacramento Bee linked to a website that showed tens of trapped dead beavers. Would that happen in Martinez? El Grove was where I first read the name of Mary Tappel, who after advising them that sterilizing beavers stresses them out so it was much better to kill them, eventually came all the way to Martinez to tell our mayor and public works director that flow devices never work, that beavers breed for 50 years and that the father beaver should be killed so that the mother would have to mate with her sons and slow the population growth that way.
Elk Grove was the beginning of everything for me, and having this nearby beaver story unfold, with so many good people involved is full circle in a way I can barely describe. Honestly, nothing would make me happier than to award Worth A Dam’s second beaver management scholarship to someone that learned from Elk Grove that killing beavers doesn’t make them go away.
Sometimes you find a beaver story on the news and it melts your heart and stiffens your sinews with the inspiring community outpouring of support it elicits. And sometimes you read a story with such indifferent, abject, and ignorant cruelty that it turns your stomach with a seismic shudder. But every so often you get the story that does both at exactly the same time, like this from Stallings North Carolina.
Residents in a Stallings neighborhood are upset after a family of six beavers was trapped and killed, and a picture of the carcasses was posted online. People who live in Fairfield Plantation said the beavers had been a part of the neighborhood for years.
“The beaver dam was huge. It was about five feet tall. It was really a good, interesting nature lesson for my grandchildren,” said resident Jeff Hatch.
But the Fairfield Plantation homeowners’ association was concerned about the beavers’ dams in the neighborhood creek. HOA members said the beavers were threatening the hardwood forest, and that flooding from the backup of water was creating a deep water hazard for children in the local park.
Dam. Another dead beaver story, you are probably thinking. Why does Heidi write about such morbid subjects all the time and bum us out? And if that was the END of the story I would partly understand your muted disdain as you moved about your day onto other subjects. The economy perhaps or the primaries….
Ahh but there’s more.
Last week, the neighborhood HOA president sent out a newsletter, informing residents, “We hired a trapper who apprehended six, four of whose mug shots can be seen at fairfieldnc.com.”
The president, Larry Evans, then posted a graphic picture of four of the beaver carcasses on the website, but quickly took it down a day later after a resident complained.
That’s right. The tone-deaf HOA president not only decided to have the heroes killed, he decided to post the photograph on his website. (I guess since that dead tiger photo from Ohio was so popular!) One can only shudder to think what he might have posted after the rat trapper came or after having the sewer line succefully snaked, or a criminal apprehended.
We might as well face it. For the rest of time there will be abysmal people with cell phones who have the kinds of impulse-ridden brains that drive them to do horrific, inhumane things and then that one neuron devoted to understanding how technology works that makes them want to take a photo and post it on line. Look what I did! Isn’t it cool?
Well, if you would like to explain to Mr. Evanshow not cool his decision was, you might consider dropping him an affectionate note here. And if that rousing earthquake didn’t just shake your bad mood away, I got this photo from our beaver friend Ian Timothy yesterday.
When beavers bite off more than they can chew!I
This is obviously the work of a yearling or two, trying to prove themselves. I can imagine the scornful looks from Dad saying ‘son, that’s too big’ and Jr. setting his jaw firmly and chewing and chewing and chewing….Mom comes by hours later and says “honey why don’t you try a smaller tree?” and he hunches his shoulders and keeps chewing and chewing and chewing….his brother comes by in the morning and says “aren’t you done yet?” and he says “SHUTUP” and keeps chewing and chewing and chewing….
I will remember this photo as a lesson every time I take on a project that is impossible to finish! Thanks Ian! And episodes 4-7 will be featured at next weekends Colorado Environmental Film Festival. Since Sherri Tippie lives 15 minutes away I know Twigs will be in excellent company!
