Beaver beginnings and endings

heidi08 Beavers, Environmental, Friends of Martinez Beavers May 8, 2014

At least two very important things happened yesterday, both of them Canadian in nature. Jari Osborne’s promotional interview for “Leave it to beavers” aired on Metro Focus. It featured a discussion of why beavers matter and some of the most intriguing clips from the film. The beaver part starts at 13:21. Enjoy.

Are you excited yet? I can’t tell you how thrilling it is to see a powerful filmmaker and a prominent interviewer casually discussing beaver benefits on national television. And that adorable footage of the kit hopping eagerly in the lodge is, I believe, the cutest event ever recorded since the development of film. (Or eyes.)

I heard from a very excited Jari yesterday. It must be a little weird to have your second premiere nearly two years after finishing the film. An American debut is a big deal. She even talked about getting Sherri, Suzanne and Carol together for a meet up reunion at the beaver festival. (!!) That is an impossibly wonderful idea to imagine, we’ll see. In the meantime, plan your superbowl-beaver party, tell all your friends, and get ready for next Wednesday.

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The other very important thing that happened yesterday was the death of 92 year old author, Farley Mowat. Up until the last moment of his life he was a fierce advocate for nature and a dedicated writer. You probably crossed paths with “Never cry wolf”, a story I drew on internally again and again when fighting for our beavers – from the idea of leaving a familiar job for the complete unknown, to the joy and brutality of an unexpected encounter with nature, to the bumbling of failed bureaucracies and corrupt politicians lurking under every stone. His writing prepared me for what I was going to face.

Even though my journey was only 8 blocks from my home, it was still a great distance from what I was trained to do. I needed an experienced guide to show me the way. He knew what challenges I would face there, and why it was worth the effort. He even understood how my life could feel at once completely taken over and more like my own than it ever had been. How fitting that his deer friend, Paul Watson of the Sea Shepherd, remembers his important life by comparing him to Canadian icons like “Grey Owl”.

The world is such a better place because you were in it, Mr. Mowat. I hope I am a better person because you’re writing is inside me.

In the end, there were no simple answers,

no heroes, no villians.

only silence.

But it began the moment that I first saw the wolf

By the act of watching, with the eyes of man,

I had pointed the way for those who followed.

Beaver Patriotism

heidi08 Beavers, Creative Solutions, Educational, Environmental May 7, 2014

Finally an embeddable version! Here’s the link so you can email it to all your relatives and friends. What I love most of all about waiting for its broadcast is seeing it be promoted in all 50 states including our own. From WNET in New York, to WXEL in Florida, WGBH in Massachusetts, WVIZ in Ohio, IPTV in Iowa, to KLVX in Nevada – even KHET in Hawaii! All these states that I have covered over the years, valiantly resisting beavers, or exaggerating their problems, or frankly lying about the harm they do. They will all have an hour of beaver benefits on their TV whether they like it or not.

I love that it will be streamed across the airwaves to stubborn people all across this great nation, and even if people are too closed minded to watch, it will still be be there, taking up real estate in their awareness and reminding them that folks are paying attention to this animal. Maybe some child or house wife will watch absentmindedly, but when their city council lies to them in two years or six months they’ll think, wait, didn’t I see some special about that? And they’ll look it up or remember and then talk to their husband of friends and next thing you know there will be a new Martinez to contend with.

Maybe more than one.

SHOWTIME!

heidi08 Beavers, Educational, Friends of Martinez Beavers May 1, 2014

It’s May! It’s May! And the trailer for the new beaver-mentary on PBS is out! Click on the image for an un-embeddable preview and be very very excited. Then check your local PBS station to see when it will be airing around the 14th and plan your superbowl party accordingly! I just heard from the filmmaker Jari Osborne this morning that she’s in New York for a series of interviews and had lunch with the producers of Nature yesterday. Apparently they were really excited about the film and learned a lot! Lets hope this opens a nation of minds!

Leave It to Beavers – Preview

A growing number of scientists, conservationists and grass-roots environmentalists now regard beavers as overlooked tools when it comes to reversing the disastrous effects of global warming and worldwide water shortages. Using their skills as natural builders and brilliant hydro-engineers, beavers can transform and revive landscapes.

Congratulations Jari on ~~a job~~ many jobs well done! I am so excited to view the finished product. If you aren’t sure when it airs near you find out your local PBS station (KQED in the bay area) and check to see when Nature airs. If for some reason it isn’t scheduled to air call the station and demand it! And if all else fails we’ll all be able to watch it online after the broadcast date.

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Great beaver watching last night, five in all, a pond turtle coming over the dam, seven baby ducks, and a demonstration that dam building takes lots and lots of practice – and maybe some geometry!

And the epic turtle journey: