Finally. A night and morning with no dead beavers. Mom, Dad, 2 year olds seen last night. And the dam’s been worked on. Thank heavens for a day of relative peace. In the meantime, there has been a lot of beaver news in the world that we’ve been neglecting in our grief. Let’s try and get caught up at least with the good stories!
Beaver problem solved with simple, innovative device
A family of beavers dammed up part of the retention basin in the Mount Healthy’s Heritage Park, property owned by Ohio Department of Transportion, causing the pond not to drain properly. So residents and ODOT teamed up to find a beaver expert with an innovative way to solve the problem.
Mount Healthy resident Karen Arnett says the beavers built the dam, but that dam also changed the ecosystem around the pond. Walkers in the park began seeing egrets and other new wildlife.
When the beavers were removed, some residents wanted to find a way to allow them to coexist.
So Arnett poked around and found Mike Callahan, a Massachusetts man who builds flow devices to manage beaver problems through his business, Beaver Solutions.
Callahan said while beavers are considered to be pests by some, scientists actually have proven that beavers are a “Keystone” species in North America. This means that beavers play a crucial role in biodiversity. Innumerable species rely either partly or entirely on beaver ponds, many of them threatened or endangered. “Therefore, whenever we can coexist with beavers, we are providing the habitat necessary for supporting many other species, and protecting the web of life upon which we depend,” he said.
ODOT brought Callahan in to show staff how flow devices could help them manage beaver problems. He was impressed by the invitation and eager to show them how it could be done.
“Is anyone aware of another state highway department that has committed to building and installing flow devices themselves?” Callahan asked. “Ohio wants to start doing flow devices themselves which I think is pretty cool.”
Callahan said the training session included a PowerPoint presentation tailored to ODOT needs, and a hands-on flow device installation where many ODOT staff participated.
Hurray for Mike and Karen! And hurray for ODOT. Ohio is the FIRST state in the country to be trained in flow devices. I never thought I’d see the day, but what do I know? Karen obviously pushed and tugged and wheedled in a powerful way that got the right results. That’s never easy to do. And Mike made sure the price was right for them to have a personal lesson. Thank you BOTH.
This is another story that brightened my eye during the dark days. I saved it for you.
An unlikely pairing
Back in the fall of 2014, when beavers first showed up in a ravine next to homes in the Bolton area, the question on everyone’s mind was how to deal with the creatures: Should they be driven away to avoid potential property damage, or accepted as a new and potentially beneficial addition to the neighborhood?
The answer was obvious to residents in the immediate vicinity of the beavers, and they eventually formed the group B.E.A.V., which stands for “Beaver Environmental Advocacy Volunteers.” In the months since the group was formed, B.E.A.V. members have helped educate residents on what it means to have beavers in a neighborhood — beyond the obvious tree-chomping problems — and hosted informational sessions with experts like Susan Barnes from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
This summer, their focus turned from education to concrete action. As it became clear that invasive plant species were creating problems for the beavers, the group decided that human intervention wouldn’t do the trick.
They needed goats.
“We assessed the health of the habitat in the ravine,” B.E.A.V. founder Peggy Watters said. “There’s a lot of invasive species down there, so our chance of being able to plant things for the beaver to keep him in the ravine was going to be difficult.
“Goats were a good alternative.”
And so it was that 34 goats arrived at the ravine between Holly and Sinclair Street June 29 for a week-long feast. The goats were rented from Yoder Goats, which in the past has provided similar services for West Linn’s Parks and Recreation Department.
“(The goats) take it all down, eat it and fertilize it while they eat it,” Watters said. “What efficient little munchers they are.”
Beyond providing a crucial service to the beaver habitat, the goats also proved to be a popular attraction around the neighborhood. B.E.A.V. hosted a special ceremony June 29 to mark the goats’ arrival, and volunteers helped create a path for the goats to follow from their trailer down into the ravine. Over the course of the next week, adults and children alike stopped by to visit with the goats and watch them “work.”
“It’s been fun to open all of our backyards and invite people back to hang out with the goats,” Watters said. “That whole community connection experience, it’s one of those experiences I think we’ve lost over the years. (The project) has been nice in many more ways than just clearing the ravine.”
Now that the goats have done their work, Watters said it will be up to B.E.A.V. members to take the next step.
“Our work isn’t done yet,” Watters said. “At our next meeting on July 13, we’ll be assessing how the goats did, and what do we do now?
Later this month, on July 18, B.E.A.V. is set to host a potluck gathering for neighbors who are interested in learning more about the beavers and their habitat.
How much do you love this story? And B.E.A.V.? I feel a great burst of affection for them and their ability to use wildlife to engage the community. And now they are holding a potluck? Apparently they can win the hearts of the politicians, the neighbors and the press! I can tell you right now why they were successful. Just let me know when they’re planning a beaver festival?
Speaking of the beaver festival, I just found out that we received a grant from the city for this summer’s event. Which means we have 3 civic financial sponsors this year. Take a moment to consider that, will you? Only 8 years after forcing them to do the right thing, Worth A Dam gets supported! This means our fullest ever support page.
Pass me a handkerchief, will you. This is so sudden.
