Because the beaver isn't just an animal; it's an ecosystem!

Tag: Mt. View Sanitation


During the week I usually get a few beaver-related blurbs that aren’t juicy enough for a full post but are still are worth sharing. This week was no exception, and I’m thinking that Friday is the perfect day to run some little stories to get us ready for the weekend.

First up is the exciting back story to LK’s butterfly observation. She wrote that she was seeing clouds migrating over highway 4. Apparently she wasn’t the only one. Gary Bogue wrote a column for this week’s Contra Costa Times on the enchanting migration of “painted ladies”, from the desert of their birth in Southern California. In case you missed them, here’s one to identify for next time.

How about another reason to reintroduce beavers in Scotland? This news from the BBC talks about an alarming decline in the Cranefly population, leading to a staggering loss in the bird population. The problem is climate-change related, cause by the loss of pools where flies can reproduce. The article suggests creating a series of (wait for it) little dams. “For example, by blocking drainage ditches on our Forsinard reserve in the North of Scotland we hope to raise water levels and reduce the likelihood of the cranefly larvae drying out in hot summers.” Now we know what can make and maintain those little “ditches” for you.

Remember the beaver problem that appeared every morning for conflict resolution to a South Carolina Farmer? Kristin was wondering how to adapt a beaver deceiver to a spillway, so I wrote Skip Lisle and he got in touch with her. Soon those beavers will be roundly deceived.

If you have an even longer memory you might recall the beavers at the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau Alaska. They had the good fortune to attract some hardworking volunteers (and an award winning photographer) who gathered together to regularly help undo the beavers most troublesome handiwork.The beavers were slated for extermination but temporarily saved from the executioner. We admired their effort and got in touch with them. The primary concern was allowing passage for large Coho Salmon and making sure that beavers, (or beaver-devices), didn’t interfere with this lucrative fishy business. Word is that they are working hard to secure a comprehensive beaver management plan for the area; one that doesn’t include trapping. More on this later.

There will be another class at Mt. View Sanitation next weekend, specifically on planting for pollinators. It will be taught by Jeff Alvarez, founder of The Wildlife Project who it turns out is a big fan of our beavers and has agreed to help his friend Kelly help us with our interpretive sign design. Let’s get some beaver friends to increase the turnout.

Go Native – Planting for Pollinators
Saturday, April 11, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm

Attract birds, butterflies and beneficial insects. Learn to diversify
your garden by including California native plants that provide food, shelter and nesting places for wildlife.

Nothing to do the weekend after that? Wrong. The John Muir Birthday-Earthday Celebration will be an rollicking good eco time. Plan to be there on Saturday April 18th between 10 and 4. In addition to the bagpipes, remarkable displays, performances, and the ever popular recycled trash fashion show, Worth A Dam will be in prominent display, our first since fall. We will be raffling two hard to get tickets to the Creek Seekers Express eco tour ride from Jack London to Martinez. It will feature a guided lecture from the marine curator of the Oakland Museum and never before seen footage of the Martinez Beavers.  Don’t miss your chance at getting to participate in this historic opportunity.


Beaver Supporter and all around remarkable human,  Kelly Davidson Chou, of Mt. View Sanitation, has spaces open in her Saturday workshop on Bay Friendly Gardening. Kelly is an environmental education specialist, and volunteered to take on the pesky job of organizing our ephemeral ideas to meet the demands of the FWC grant application for interpretive signs at the dam. She worked at the festival and helps us keep an eye out for non Alhambra Creek beavers.

You can add your name to the list today, call her at 228-5635 x 19, or even just show up by 9:15 tomorrow.

Saturday, March 28, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Considering form and function before planting can save you time and
resources. This workshop provides an overview of design & maintenance
practices that will help you make smart choices at the nursery.

Help your garden. Help your pocket book. And help a friend of the beavers. Sounds like smart thinking to me.


In other environmental news Beaver supporter LK writes excitedly that she caught a glimpse of migrating butterflies

Did you see them? There is a butterfly migration happening!!  dunno what kind…noticed them yesterday and again today flying to the north over highway 4.  they seem so fragile to be making such a trip!

I don’t know what kind either, but that’s very exciting. I forwarded her email to Gary Bogue and hopefully will have some answers for you soon. In the mean time, don’t forget to look up.


Gary is probably still proudly enjoying his seven “It a gosling” cigars from this week’s hatching and launch from the roof at the Contra Costa Times.

Apparently the entire sage created quite the buzz. The leap off the roof produced such alarming video he took it off his website, even though it came with warnings and the preface that “all the goslings made it safe”.  I would advise the kinder, gentler photo essay rather than the video, or at least turn your sound wayyyyy down.

Anyway, mom and babies are doing fine apparently. And the friends of Walnut Creek are keeping a careful eye out. Thanks Gary! He will be the host of the Muir Earthday-Birthday this year, so you should really come by to thank him for all the good work he does.


Finally, my friend DS from Santa Cruz sends this story about a pair of golden eagles returning to the campus. It s very reaffirming to think about all the ways that nature reasserts herself in our little lives. Somewhere right now, nests are being built in unused bicycle helmets, strawberry pots, and the shovel of an old bulldozer. Compassionate, frusterated and wildly busy humans seem to just stop and let them have their space. They sometimes need a little nudge to do the right thing, but it is lovely to watch hearts soften. While nature renews itself, we humans have our own rebirth.

Maybe the first robin of spring was never truly worth reporting, but the first human awareness of a robin in spring is a story that never gets old.

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