Unexpected treasures

heidi08 Beaver Behavior, Beaver-themed merchandise, Beavers elsewhere, Creative Solutions June 20, 2013

Let’s start with surprises. How about this throwaway paragraph from the Syracuse outdoor writer David Figura

Figura writing about beavers

Meanwhile, here’s what I’ve been working on for this week: An interview with Dietland Muller-Schwarze, a retired SUNY ESF prof and nationally recognized expert on the subject of beavers. He’s written two books about them and in 2007 was given a lifetime achievement award by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for his 25 years of research on the animal.

If you’re at all like me your first thought on reading this passage is not “Cool! I can’t wait for that interview!” or ” Finally! beaver appreciation spreading through New York” but rather, huh? “USDA gives lifetime achievement awards”? I honestly only thought they recognized ‘deathtime’ achievements! And they gave this award to the most powerful, convincing beaver advocate on the planet? Wait, I need to sit down! Everything is spinning.

Sadly if USDA truly did this noble thing, they are clearly ashamed of it, because I can’t find a single reference to it in the enormity of the Google except for his resume and this article. Hmm, I shall investigate.

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And now for something completely different, this lovely passage from Jo Marshall the author of the Twigs stories who was asked to share what she learned about water management and beavers for the educational blog by Jacqueline Rhoades because of her very successful Twig stories and the giant beaver character, Slapper. Enjoy!

The first Twig Stories novel – Leaf & the Rushing Waters – is about a young, boyish Twig named Leaf whose old tree home is inundated by a glacial outburst flood. His family is trapped high in the Old Seeder’s knothole. Leaf and his Twig friend Rustle set off to find a goliath beaver named Slapper, who can build a mighty dam to block the raging torrent. What I love about Twig Stories is the opportunity to blend science fact into fantasy. The idea that Slapper and his colony could build such an enormous and effective dam comes from an actual beaver dam in Alberta, Canada. It is twice the length of Hoover Dam and can be seen from space!

The key message in ‘Rushing Waters’ is beavers are natural control agents to mitigate extreme flood and drought. Many wildlife nonprofits have made it clear beaver dams are effective tools for flood control, if allowed to flourish. In many areas, beavers were trapped and hunted to nonexistence, so beaver advocates are dedicated to the reintroduction of beavers into those areas now suffering from disastrous flood and drought due to climate shifts.In spite of those who believe beavers are a nuisance, many nonprofit groups and researchers have shown that the impact of drought is actually reduced since beaver dams allow a controlled, consistent stream of filtered water during long periods of hot weather. These periods are growing longer and hotter all the time.

Another critical theme in ‘Rushing Waters’ is we must protect endangered animals. Beaver dams help create healthy ponds and wetlands, which save threatened species such as salamanders, frogs, birds, and small mammals from extinction. This benefits large predators, too. Nonprofit organizations with passionate beaver defenders such as The Lands Council , Martinez Beavers.org, and Beavers: Wetlands and Wildlife have developed excellent methods to allow communities to coexist with beavers in their parks and private lands. If necessary, humane relocation of nuisance beavers should be utilized rather than trapping or killing these remarkable, helpful creatures.

This post from Jo Marshall was originally featured on the Jacqueline Rhoades education blog. What I really enjoy about this column is the fact that it makes “Beaver Advocates” seem like a real thing – a voting block- like baby boomers or code pink. As if we were a growing force to be reckoned with. Well, okay then! Jo’s website and next projects can be visited here. She generously donated several copies of her books to the silent auction last year which were all promptly sold. Thanks Jo for taking on such a great subject!

Success of Friends

heidi08 Beavers elsewhere, Earth Day, Educational, Friends of Martinez Beavers January 10, 2013

Do you remember the character of ‘Slapper’ the giant beaver from the exciting young adult tale of climate change from Leaf and the Rushing Waters? The author Jo Marshall is publishing the next volume which will reportedly have my endoresement on the back cover, and she just wrote me with the exciting newsflash that the character of ‘Slapper’ was so popular it has been picked up by a comic book company in Chicago and they want her to write the first episodes. We wish her and slapper all success!

And of course our other rising star, the now-18-year old Ian Timothy, is getting ready to transcend our trajectory entirely. He recently asked me for a letter of recommendation for college, so I know well the heights he is marching towards. This week he is in Miami at the YoungArts Week immersed in more creative youth than you can imagine. That’s him holding the camera, and watch the short film for an introduction to what’s going on.

Ian you are definitely not in Kansas Kentucky any more. Gosh, we are so proud of you. Have a wonderful time, make remarkable inspiring friends, and broaden and deepen every one of your dreams.

Other successes? Well, in the past three days I’ve got Michael Pollock interested in a beavers-and-salmon article for Bay Nature, which has done a great job about reporting on salmon, but not yet picked up the beaver gauntlet. I may have been able to lure science writer Joe Eaton into pursuing it and the difference it will make for salmon (and Beavers) all over the state. Joe is a free lance writer/naturalist and the editor of SFEP newsletter who has written my favorite articles about mom beaver, ever. He would be the very best man for the job, if we can just get him intrigued enough! On a related note research Rick says we’re two weeks away from the rough draft of the historic prevalence of beavers in the coastal rivers article, so things are moving in a very good direction!

Beaver Friend Updates

heidi08 Beaver Art, Beaver News, Beavers elsewhere, Environmental, Friends of Martinez Beavers December 1, 2011

Happy December! There are several friendly new sprouts on the horizon that I thought I’d make you aware of. The first is an update from our artist friend Anita Utas who rallied to save the beavers in Stittsville Ottawa. Seems she has decided to celebrate their impermanent victory with a beaver blog to keep an eye on the situation.

Go check out the site and sign up for updates to support her efforts. ( Oh, and while you’re there check who’s on her blogroll!) As for Anita’s courageous endeavor I can only say two things. Congratulations! Good Luck!

And “Run Simba, run! Get out now while you still can!”

Next there’s the announcement about Jo Marshall’s recently published Twig tales where Goliath beavers help save the planet from climate change. It has made a fair splash in the eco-literary community and seems to be off to a great start. I especially enjoyed this part of the review.

Leaf & the Rushing Waters spouts a timely theme: beaver dams solve flood and drought made extreme by climate change. Goliath beavers must battle a glacial outburst. Not so fantastic—one beaver dam in Alberta is twice the length of Hoover Dam, and seen from space. The President of Martinez Beavers, Dr. Heidi Perryman, explains their endorsement, “With her Twig tales, Jo Marshall has done something amazing—tie a story of epic adventure to a naturally anchored account of environmental awareness – all tailored to the fresh, engaging mind of the youngster.”

I told her I hope Disney buys the story and in two years every child in America is going to sleep with a stuffed ‘Slapper’ under one arm. You can read the whole review here, check out the other books here, or buy a copy of your own.

Next come some old friends dressed in new clothes. Lisa Owens Vianni (Formerly of SFEP and now of Golden Gate Audubon) recently found this reference to an article she wrote a few years back for Terrain magazine. It is an interview with unique recycling artist Kathryn Spence who uses ripped portions of her clothing and various fabrics to create life sized wildlife.

In an interview with Lisa Owens Viani the artist explained her love and reason for choosing owls as her subject in her work: “There’s something about owls that just fascinates me. In a way I made them because it was a way for me to have more access to them. Since they are wild birds, I wanted to leave them alone, just look at them from far away and be aware of them, but not destroy habitat or bother them. Making them is my way of reaching them—and for other people to have access to them. It’s not about having an owl; that would be awful. But it was interesting to me to think about bringing these wild things inside—through my pieces—so that people could be with them.” Kathryn pays special attention to positioning of these creatures so they appear close to “the way you see them in the wild.”

Okay, I see owls, pigeons and coyotes. Hmmm what”s missing from her creations? The artist seems delighted to reuse old things in new ways. And the cyclical nature of art, our possessions and wildlife seems very important to her. How’s this for full circle?

What if you bought a bunch of old felt hats at thrift stores, shredded them into pieces and reshaped them back into a beaver! I’m sure we could help you find inspiration if you need it.

Generous

heidi08 Beaver Art, Beaver News, Beavers, Beavers or Social Ambasadors, Creative Solutions September 7, 2011

Yesterday was blurry with riches. Out of the blue I received an email from musician Mark Comstock who asked if he could send me a copy of a song he wrote and recorded for the Martinez Beavers. He’s a friend of the Hopeful Romantics who played at the festival this year. Of course, I said “yes” but I honestly had no idea how delightful it would be. I’m going to work on a video with this soundtrack this afternoon so hopefully it will get the attention it deserves. If you can’t wait you can click here

Ballad of the Martinez Beaver or on the photo for a listen.

: Mark Comstock

To top it off, I’m told Disney artist D.W. Murray just completed this illustration of the world-saving dam built by “Slapper and Patty” to protect against the rapid rise of waters from global warming in Jo Marshall’s latest Twig Stories. Jo has already promised us some copies for next years beaver festival, so we’re eager to learn if the wonder-dam was up to the task.

: D.W. Murray

Obviously Slapper and Patty are needed at the moment in drought-burdened Texas to help with the horrific fires which are by far the worst in the state’s history. Go tell the governor that apparently it makes no difference if Texas doesn’t pay attention to climate change, because climate change is still paying attention to YOU.