Yesterday I wrote the good folks from Yellow Springs who installed a flow device. I heard back from Marianne the council member who said this:
So good to hear from you Heidi. I had originally contacted the Brown’s (BWW) who connected us with Mike Callahan. We didn’t realize or at least consider that the name beaver deceiver was patented. So we won’t use that again. Your organization has been an inspiration to us. Vickie had been getting information about the mosquito links so what you included about that is helpful. I suspect she may contact you as she has been working with Antioch College to do mosquito testing at the wetlands and other places in our village. Thanks again for contacting us and we will stay in touch.
Marianne MacQueen
I wrote back and assured her to use whatever worked but just not call it a beaver deceiver. Then I wrote Mike and asked him about his advice. He told me sheepishly this morning that he doesn’t remember talking to anyone about this but it must have happened. The great beaver underground strikes again.
John adapted a design from Mike Callahan so we didn’t actually use Skip’s design tho I expect they are all rather similar. Vickie and I developed a presentation in which she talked about the natural history of beavers and I talked about the situation in Yellow Springs. I took photos as the village crew was installing the flow device and then over the month or so that it took for the beavers to rebuild their dam.
I got two members of our reconstituted Environmental Commission which I chair to help start the dam around the pipe at the fence surrounding the culvert. Of course we were now where near as skilled as the beavers in dam building but it was fun. I had read somewhere that it was good to start the work to give the beavers the idea and they definitely got the idea. I’m attaching a couple photos. Again, thanks for getting in touch and for all you are doing. Marianne MacQueen
It’s a small, small beaver world after all. Congratulations to Yellow Springs for taking the leap of faith required to do this a new way, and getting Conservation Commission members actually IN the water (which I’m beginning to think might be the best place for them). I can’t wait to see the great things that happen in the coming years as wildlife realizes YS is the place to be.
Oh, and come June or July get ready for a real treat!
