Paul Ramsey – Worth A Dam

Tales of Tails

heidi08 Beaver-themed merchandise, Beavers, Beavers and Birds, Beavers and Frogs, Beavers and salmon, Beavers and trout, Beavers and water, Beavers elsewhere, Creative Solutions, Environmental, Who's saving beavers now? March 9, 2015

Into every life a little rain must fall….

I love this photo, sent by Paul Ramsey of Scotland of the beaver dam on his property washing out during a storm while we were all busy conferencing. Doesn’t look like the cover of a novel you can’t wait to read?

I’m sure that novel would mention that sometimes, after it rains you get things like this:

I spent yesterday organizing 200 x 20 buttons for the keystone species project at the beaver festival. Mark Poulin and his amazing staff finished the order and shipped it this weekend. Kids can ‘earn’ these at the many different exhibits and get a grand tail to display what they know. Honestly if you live anyhere in California or even the west you had better plan a visit on August 1st, because if your child misses out on this delightful opportunity they will never let you hear the end of it. Mark designed each button for us personally and even borrowed a larger machine to make a slightly bigger beaver! Thank you so much Mark for your creativity and hard work!

After which they can add all those buttons to a burlap beavertail that will eventually look like this:

Now I’m off to settle the account for this magical effort. Let’s hope the K.E.Y.S.T.O.N.E. project grant is funded by our friends at the fish and wildlife commission. Don’t you think it deserves to be?

A Little Smackerel of Something….

heidi08 Beavers elsewhere, Video May 23, 2012

Sometimes I post videos and I know people don’t watch them. Time is pressing, the phone just rang or you’re just not that interested. I understand. But no matter what the harrowing conditions of your schedule this morning you will NOT want to miss these. I pinky promise. The first is from our friend Jeremy Christiansen at the Grand Canyon Land Trust in Utah where they just committed to beaver relocation as a state mandate to assist with water storage and all the rest. You won’t want to miss this amazing look at what it means to take beaver from the flatlands up to the mountains. The music is perfect too.

Nice work Jeremy! Don’t you just love how that last little beaver who had just been through such a scary thing, locked in a cage, dragged driven and rattled for miles, and his first decision upon being free was to nibble what winnie the pooh would call “a little smackerel of something“?

Okay this next video should make you all want to travel to Scotland right away. It’s from our friend Paul Ramsay on his estate in Bamff. It isn’t as slickly edited as Jeremy’s but its some of the best wildlife you are likely to see in four minutes. I’m starting it at two minutes so you get the otters running across the path and the four beavers doing each other’s hair, but if you have more time go back and watch the whole thing. It’s worth it.

Beavers and Otters and Birthdays, Oh my!

heidi08 Beaver Behavior, Beavers elsewhere, Creative Solutions, Friends of Martinez Beavers December 13, 2011

I stumbled upon this intriguing video on youtube and it took me a while to realize who it was from. This was shot by beaver friend Paul Ramsy at his estate in Bamff Scotland. Paul is the congenial force behind the “Save the free beavers of the River Tay” movement. His demeanor is polite tweed but his spirit is entirely leather! Be patient with his film skills and focus instead on the chirping sound in the background. My guess is he knew at the time why that was important. Looking at this video you have an idea of why he would become passionate enough about the cause to fly all the way to Oregon for the State of the beaver conference last February. Watch all the way to the end for a special treat.

Speaking of special, today is the birthday of our own Cheryl Reynolds who will of course be celebrating by visiting the beavers she loves best. Thanks for all you do and have an excellent birthday!