Sometimes I fall behind in the news. I admit. Either because I’m giving a zoom talk the next day or because I forgot to pay attention and started to work on something else, like the exciting new project I’ll be showing you later. This had all the elements of a good story too. But as its in Oregon I’m going to assume it found its way without us.
There is a beaver stirring up trouble in Ochoco Creek.
At one end of town, near the local skate park, a flat-tailed critter has chewed up several trees, causing some to come down. Closer to Main Street, a tree with incriminating chew marks lays across the creek next to a jagged, pointy stump.
Prineville Police Officer James Young is aware that beavers have settled into Ochoco Creek at different times through the years. They seems to prefer the skate park area.
“If you go through that area, there is actually years of different beaver chew through there,” he said. “There is old stuff that is grayed over.”
But since about January, the problem has worsened and created a safety hazard.
Ochoco creek is in the middle of the state and the fact that this problem existed for 5 months means the skate park isn’t really located anywhere important. In fact if you tried to evaluate which species most Americans hate more, beavers or skateboarders you’d have to really think about it, And use charts and nano-scales. It’s that close.
But city officials usually like the parents of skaters more than beavers. So they are unlikely to let trees fall on their head.
Something had to be done, Young decided, so he did some research and learned about a Bend-based organization called Beaver Works Oregon, which provides mitigation services for people dealing with beaver problems.
But before contacting the organization, Young decided to reach out to local stakeholders like Ochoco Irrigation District, City of Prineville Public Works and Crook County Parks and Recreation District to find out how they would like to handle the situation. They all encouraged him to contact Beaver Works.
Young connected with Program Director Reese Mercer.
“We did a walk of the path and I showed her the areas that were of concern,” he said. “I ended up having a couple of conferences with them. Then COVID-19 hit and that pushed things back.”
He has continued to communicate with the organization by phone and the group is not putting together a proposal with different options, which could include anything from tree protection or fencing to beaver relocation.
Wha-a-a-a-?
A beaver group I do not know about? Do such things exist in the world? Have I lost my cutting edge?
Yes, I have. And that’s a good thing. It’s like having too many chickens to know each ones name. That’s a good place to be. We are HAPPY when we learn of new beaver efforts in the world. Not far away. We celebrate the good news even i we weren’t including on the mailing list.
Beaver Works Oregon is the growing vision of dedicated volunteers working to build this effort and activities as a program under Think Wild (Wildlife Hospital and Conservation Center), in Bend.
Here is their website: Beaverworks.org
There’s lots to explore on the website AND they’re doing a showing of the beaver believers on May 28 that you can sign UP for! Something tells me we’re going to be seeing a lot of each other soon. Click on the image if you’d like to register.
Yesterday I stumbled across the newly formed Western Beaver Cooperative, brain child of Reese Mercer formerly of Beaver Works and now leading the way with this volunteer based effort. The website is full of good advice and nice graphics that might come in handy. I don’t know the backstory on why one cooperative suddenly ends and another begins, but working with an all volunteer army is a tough gig and sometimes there are human obstacles that cannot be over come.
And this awesome collection of webcam captured visits to a beaver pond during the third year of drought, Watch the whole thing because I especially like the field mice and the night jar.
