Out For A Swim

And the third shall be first…

heidi08 Beaver News October 15, 2009

And the street light’s white glare

The pipes bursting in air

Gave proof, through the night

That our dam was still there!

Last night a host of beaver friends showed up at the dam. All were interested to see how they had fared in the storm, and wanted to check out the dam-age for themselves. We were pleasantly surprised that much of the structure of the primary dam had survived. The “gap” was leaking and a lot of the wood from the top had been whooshed downstream, but there was definitely still a “dam”.

The second dam had taken more of a hit, and was spilling water all along the surface. The fourth dam was half washed out and nearly collapsed, but the third dam! Voila! It looked like an issue of “Beavers Better Homes and Gardens”. Mind you, the first two dams are in a very straight channel, almost a flume. While the third dam lies after the creek has been allowed to bend a little, so doesn’t get the same flow force. Remember that streams like to naturally meander, and that our creeks used to be more curvy and less downcut because there were beavers and dams all over them. Those lucky beavers had dams that survived the downpours because they didn’t have to endure such direct hits. Like number three.

After we checked out the dam-age and the massive tree trunk that had flowed down, we settled in to watch the star performers. Two yearlings made an early appearance (7:30) and started right away on repairs to the “gap”. There was mud carrying, stick laying, and some shifting of resources. A favorite moment was when a yearling brought a nice long branch to snap into place, but paused to take a nibble from his building materials, and then decided this particular specimen was too tasty to use in construction. He pulled it back off the dam and swam back towards the lodge to eat it! Returning later with something less inviting.

We watched for a better part of an hour, and in that time the gap was almost entirely repaired – first things first. I’m sure they headed down next to the second dam, where their labor was definitely needed. It was lovely to see them “being beavers” and to watch so many people caring how they fared. Jon’s photo of the main dam made the front page of the Gazette today, and I’m sure there’s plenty of repairing left to do if you have time to stop by tonight.

Update From Jon This Morning:

Construction Zone! No other way to put it! Heavy work going on at primary and secondary dams, saw at least 4 beavers, could not get an ID on mom but think I saw her up on the secondary dam with a yearling following her around. When I left they had moved back to the primary dam, the gap area has this huge pile of mud and sticks on it. They basically rebuilt both dams overnight! Did not have time to go down to the other dams, but I will tonight. Shortly after I got there, in the pitch dark the green heron flew in to the primary dam, squawking away, guess he was still hungry! Saw lots of raccoon activity at the edges of the dam where they were working, maybe they are dredging up food items with all the mud.

Secret Helpers

heidi08 Beavers, Friends of Martinez Beavers October 10, 2009

So three times yesterday I had contact with someone who worked in a prominent environmental position, who knew enormously helpful things about beavers and the watershed, who thought the website was delightful and who offered to help Worth A Dam with its endeavors.

They just didn’t want to be mentioned because we were so controversial.

Really? Saving beavers and improving the habitat is controversial? Using humane methods to solve problems and take care of property is controversial? Raising public awareness about the importance of our creeks is controversial? Increasing the waterfowl and songbird population in Martinez is controversial? Making habitat for mink is controversial? Bringing back salmon and steelhead is controversial? Teaching children to pay attention to their environment and the relationship between species is controversial? I had no idea!

Honestly, for all the flashing orange caution tape people see framing our organization you would think we were handing out flavored condoms at a catholic middle school.

Now that would be controversial!

Still, secret friends are hugely important when you need to form an environmental “beaver underground railroad”. I am grateful for everyone who reaches out to us even though they feel the hissing breath of their employers breathing down their necks. Secret Help is HELPFUL, and very much appreciated. I guess it used to be controversial to spay your pet, “daylight” your creek or feed birds in your garden.

Maybe someday efficient and humane beaver management will be as well understood as pruning your trees instead of cutting them down.

Once Upon A Time…

heidi08 Beavers or Social Ambasadors, City Reports, Creative Solutions September 22, 2009

Once upon a time, in a very far off land where olive trees made a familiar pattern on the hills, a family of travelling magicians moved into the creek. There were three to begin with, a mother, a father and a healthy teen and all were adept at weaving straw into gold and sticks into shelters. They picked a neglected spot along the stream to make their home, right at the edge of the tide, and nestled in amongst the willows and rushes of their people.

Children and their parents sometimes stopped near their camp to watch a party trick or two. The magicians could juggle brightly colored lights and carry trees on their fingertips and it was amusing for the townspeople to see. But back at the castle, the stern old mapmaker was not amused, and argued that the magicians would call the Great Waters to rise up and flood the small village, drowning their homes and cattle. He directed the magistrate to kill the magician family, and the decision was swiftly made to execute.

‘Such decree of death caused public outcry for those who had enjoyed the magicians waterside display, and the sentence was softened to banishment when the children began to cry at the great meeting where it was considered. A gathering was planned to consider the fate of the magicians, and all the people left their huts and hovels to join in council around the fireside where important decisions were always made. There were four on the dais and four hundred in the fields. The magistrate’s brought in high priests with yardsticks to speak of the Great Flood the magicians would bring if allowed to stay, and the people spoke of their talents and treasures and asked that the magistrate find a wizard who could prevent the flood and allow the magicians to remain.

Faced with such a united and determined voice, the magistrate appointed a council of seven and charged them with the weighty task of finding such a wizard and setting him to its dilemma. Perhaps he expected the task to be impossible, and hoped to divide the inevitable failure by seven and share the blame for banishment. However, these seven quickly scoured the nation for the best skills in the land and the sharpest minds of the nation. After 90 days of searching they brought forth a great wizard the Green Mountain State and, after much council and deliberation, employed him for the position.

Sir Gallop of Lisle was tall and stern as he surveyed the magicians’ lair and considered the risks of the great flood. The pulses of many a maiden fluttered as he strode shirtless into the shallow creek to see what damage might be called. Despite the prodigious difficulties he knew just what must be done, and he used an enchanted conduit to move some of the powers from the area so that the magicians could cause no harm. With the new bypass in place, even the yardsticks of the high priests could assess no risk of flood. There was great rejoicing and many sighs of relief, and the townsfolk bought Sir Gallop many tankards of finest ale before he returned to his home in the green mountains.

Now the magicians have lived in the town for three autumns, and the townsfolk still love to gather and watch their displays. The enchanted conduit works day and night to direct the power, and in the late summer the townsfolk gather for a festival to celebrate the magicians presence in their town. Come join them some evening to watch the juggling of brightly colored lights at the waterside, and remember that your town may get magicians soon.

“Please sir, I want some more.”

heidi08 Beaver News September 15, 2009

How about a fourth dam behind the corp yard? Remember last summer there was a fourth dam that the parents made, and did such a good job that the third dam (yearling work) ended up being underwater most of the time. In the funny way that things work out the fourth dam became weakened by the dredging birm and collapsed so the third dam became their heroic water save, and with some reinforcements held the ponds together.

Now we have a NEW 4th dam, slightly below where the old one was, and looking mighty dam-ish. Every time I think our beavers have become to “cityfied” or “soft” to make it in the real world they surprise me by behaving so very much like…well…beavers! Remember that the purpose of any secondary dam is to build a terrace and broader safe feeding area. For the yearlings it is also on-the-job-training.

While Cheryl was snapping these photos she also got a nice glimpse of a lovely yellow warbler. This is definitely someone we want to keep around! Oh and the bonus? Jon spied a pile of otter scat in the area, (visible by the crushed red crayfish shells in the stools). So this means we have regular otter visitors as well.

Photos: Cheryl Reynolds

Rumbles

heidi08 pictures September 12, 2009

Did you hear the rumbles last night? We were up at four to stumble onto the porch and watch the lightening show. There were forkless sheets, noiseless ruptures, and then a single horizontal bolt over the hills where the osprey sleeps. For a while there were silent explosions of light, and we thought about being on a planet with no atmosphere so that there could be no thunder. Later it got more noisy, so you could count the distance between the lightening and thunder and know that it was getting closer. This morning the dragon is still growling in his sleep and the weather has changed from dry to damp.

In the sierras where we camp there is a particular mountain that makes thunder. I can’t describe it any other way. In the morning there is a clear cloudless sky, reflected in a brilliant jewel lake, and by 12:30 high fluffy clouds form in the east, and by 1:30 it has started to storm. Lightening crashes into the line of already battered trees, and if we are hiking we hightail it back down the mountain. Usually a brief, fierce shaking storm that marches from east to west and then is completely finished, with a clean fresh smell and a sudden explosion of bird song. The evening is crystal clear until tomorrow. When the mountain makes thunder again.

I have always liked thunder storms although here in California we are lightening-deprived. I never knew how deprived until I visited my Florida friend and saw what REAL lightening looks like: long clean forks that come from every part of the sky and explode onto the horizon burning an afterimage on your retinae. I could have sat and watched that new and improved lightening forever, but Florida people have more reason to be frightened by it than we do and I was always ushered inside when the bolts got closer. Once I was lucky enough to sit on a screened porch in San Marcos Island and see a fork of lighting that was thicker than a telephone pole. I would have stayed with wide Disney eyes until my hair went from curly to crispy but I was anxiously tugged back inside.

I couldn’t say what beavers think about thunder, if they notice it at all. With all our trains and trucks and traffic noises I can’t imagine thunder sounds very different to them, and I doubt they look for the forks. It’s one of the things I like best about them actually; their cheerful ability to go about their business regardless of what life throws at them. We should all be so lucky.