Tag: sherry guzzi

Beaver Fan Club still has Openings

heidi08 Beaver Behavior, Beavers, Beavers and climate change, Beavers and Forests, Beavers and Frogs, Beavers and Ice, Beavers and salmon, Beavers and trout, Beavers and water, Beavers elsewhere, Creative Solutions, Educational, Environmental, featured, Who's saving beavers now? January 19, 2017

Ooh how nice to see the upcoming beaver conference get some positive press! I hope that gets many more curious people in the door.

Seven Feathers to host conference on beaver restoration

CANYONVILLE — Oregon’s official state animal, the beaver, plays an important role in the state’s wetland ecosystems. Those advocating for the beaver plan to convene next month for a series of presentations focusing on beaver ecology as a crucial part of threatened species recovery.

The fifth State of the Beaver Conference, slated for Feb. 22-24 at the Seven Feathers Convention Center in Canyonville, is meant “to provide an international venue for academia, agency and stakeholders together to disseminate information pertinent to beaver ecology,” according to Leonard Houston, conference coordinator and co-chair of the Beaver Advocacy Committee (BAC) of the South Umpqua Rural Community Partnership.

“We chose the theme of ‘agents of regeneration’ largely to highlight the role that beavers play both in natural regeneration, which is ecological succession, and designed regeneration, which is restoration ecology,” Houston said.

The nicest part about this conference, and there are many, is that the famous names you have been reading about for years here or elsewhere are walking or sitting right next to you. Or coming up to say ‘hi’ and ask

about your presentation. The truth is that it is both a blessing and unfortunate that the science of beaver ecology isn’t yet so advanced that names like Woodruff, Obrien or Pollock can send

their undergrads to do the presenting for them and report back if they find anything interesting. As renowned as they are, they have to do their reporting in person and are eager to share ideas and learn from each other. They’re even happy to hear what you have to say.

Admittedly,they are probably even happier if you invite them out for a beer to say it. (And happier still if you offer to pay for it. Government salaries being what they are.)

santa barbara dinner — Michael Pollock, Mary Obrien, Sherri Guzzi, Mike Callahan and Me!

The point is, I think this is a golden moment in time where beaver science hasn’t become dominated and controlled by lofty minds and big research institutions. You can contribute, you can interact. They need you! But already the world is starting to shift. More and more folk are interested in taking charge of the beaver meme, and it won’t be easy and collegial forever.

Beavers are getting so famous, you better come this year. Just to be on the safe side.

Beaver Success is Out There!

heidi08 Beavers, Beavers and salmon, Beavers and trout, Beavers and water, Beavers elsewhere, City Reports, Creative Solutions, Who's saving beavers now? October 15, 2015

Martinez is being deeply stupid at the moment. So we’re looking elsewhere for inspiration. Let’s start with Idaho and our old friend Mike Settell of the Watershed Guardians.

Groups help mitigate beaver dam problems

To help with the beaver dam’s problems, the Watershed Guardians installed a pond leveler in the same pond as the dam. The leveler helps maintain the pond’s water at a set level, regardless of the beavers’ actions.

“We set the level of the pond by adjusting where (the leveler) sets in the dam,” said Mike Settel, executive director of the Watershed Guardians. “We’re actually using the structure the beaver created to help keep the level where we want it to be.”

While the priority was to help with flooding, maintaining the pond’s level does more. By raising the water level it increases the amount of groundwater recharge, provides flows in-stream and helps with wildlife habitat. Particularly giving more water for fish.

Go Mike and the Watershed Guardians! I’ve been impressed with his beaver teaching since 2009 when he somehow got Pocatello Audubon to fund a beaver count! I pretty much talked him into interstate travel and his first beaver conference where Leonard Houston spontaneously gave him a venue to present. Then he met Mike Callahan, learned how to put in a flow device, and the rest (as they say) is history!

And there’s more good news from our friends and the friends of beavers. This is from the Truckee River where Sherry and Ted Guzzi with the Sierra Wildlife Coalition have been making a world of difference.

Enjoying the beauty of beavers

Sherry Guzzi from the Sierra Wildlife Coalition says that beaver dams “hold water on the land longer and allow it to recharge the water table, and help create habitat for fish and wildlife.” Researchers in Utah have found that beavers provide a direct positive impact to farmers and ranchers downstream by allowing the water to last later into the season.

The dams also slow down and capture sediments on their way to Lake Tahoe and other bodies of water, acting as filtering or cleaning mechanisms. Research has found that the amount of phosphorus (which causes algae growth) entering Lake Tahoe took a spike upward when dams were removed from Taylor Creek to allow for the annual Kokanee salmon spawn in the fall.

Great work Sherry and Ted! You have single-handedly made Tahoe think twice about beavers. This is not an easy field to plow, since folks who invest money to move to nature generally don’t actually want messy nature to eat their petunias or dam their culverts. I couldn’t be more grateful for your hard work. And I absolutely LOVE your hat! 🙂

It made me think that we need a graphic like this. There are more photos lurking about from more beaver-saving gurus, but this will do for a start.

dressed — Sherry Guzzi, Ian Timothy, Mike Callahan, Sherri Tippie, Skip Lisle, Alex Hiller, Leonard and Lois Houston, and Malcolm Kenton.

The California Beaver Coalition

heidi08 Beaver Behavior, Beavers, Beavers and Birds, Beavers and Frogs, Beavers and salmon, Beavers and trout, Beavers and water, Beavers elsewhere, City Reports, Creative Solutions, Who's saving beavers now? September 4, 2015

Great news from our beaver friends! I love opening the paper to read an article about beaver advocacy that isn’t in Martinez. We just need 100’s more of these. It’s a big state.

Sherri Hasenfas — Sheri Hartstein Sierra Wildlife Coalition

Beaver population thriving at Lake Tahoe thanks to local volunteers

TAHOE-TRUCKEE, Calif. — Beavers at Lake Tahoe are faring better than they were just a few years ago, thanks to the efforts of Sherry Guzzi and her posse of volunteers, collectively known as the Sierra Wildlife Coalition.

As is the case with many people who become passionate defenders of wildlife, Sherry’s involvement began with the death of a beaver family that had become dear to her and countless other residents and visitors to Kings Beach during the fall of 2010.

This family of four beavers, two adults and two young, had built themselves a lodge in Griff Creek, which runs near Highway 267 in Kings Beach, before flowing beneath the road and into Lake Tahoe.

Obviously, we can’t allow homes, roads or businesses to be flooded so what is to be done? Sadly, in this instance, authorities decided to remove the lodge and kill the beavers.

Even more sadly, this particular dam did not threaten any structures, as the dam was only one foot high and any resulting overflow would have gone into the nearby culvert.

The killing of the beavers did not sit well with the humans who had become enamored with the animals from watching their daily activities.

Sherry, along with co-founder Mary Long, created the Sierra Wildlife Coalition with the purpose of serving as champions of wildlife, and particularly beavers.

Ooooh I love a good creation story! I remember the Griff creek beavers especially because Worth A Dam donated our first beaver management scholarship towards fixing the problem and our own Lory went to Tahoe to educate support. Ahh memories. Seems like yesterday.

sherryandted — Sherry and Ted Guzzi in their native habitat.

Go read the whole thing which ends with a touching poem by Mary’s daughter. SWC under Sherry’s leadership has done outstanding beaver work, with Ted installing flow devices, teams exhibiting and educating at events, and all making sure beaver decisions are made with the right information. Sherry just gave her first beaver presentation for the public at Taylor Creek the day before the beaver festival! It was extremely well received and she still managed to drive down and exhibit in Martinez the next morning. Now that’s dedication!

It’s not only in Tahoe where beaver friends are at work. Nearby in Napa they’re busy too.

‘Wild Napa’ lecture series to focus on beavers

The “Wild Napa” lecture series continues this month with a special presentation on beavers. Hosted by the Napa County Resource Conservation District, the event will be held next Wednesday, Sept. 9.

Covered will be the history and ecology of beavers and how they are helping urban and rural communities across the state to restore watersheds, recover endangered species, and increase climate change resiliency. Brock Doman and Kate Lundquist of the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center will share their research to re-evaluate the historic range of beaver in California, and discuss how you can contribute to the Bring Back the Beaver campaign.

Optional guided tour of the active beaver dams on Napa Creek. To join this tour, meet behind the Firefighter’s Museum at 1201 Main St.

Following the tour, the talk will start at 7 p.m. at The Black and White Collective (enter through Napa Bookmine at 964 Pearl St.). Attendance is free and no registration is needed.

Napa is in for a treat. And Napa beavers should get ready to have their virtues extolled. I think Rusty and Robin will be there for sure. And Cheryl said she was planning to try and attend. It’s a great opportunity to spread the word and learn about beavers from the folks that are working closely with Fish and Wildlife to nudge our beaver policies forward. Just in case you can’t make it, here’s a nice introduction to Brock, who has a dynamic, biologic and stream oriented speaking style that you just can’t mistake.

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All in a day’s work…

heidi08 Beavers, Environmental, Friends of Martinez Beavers March 20, 2014

Yesterday I was up at 5 getting nervous for the conference. Talking beavers to a roomful of fish-biologists? What if I forgot what to say? What if the computer goes blank? What if what if what if? Jon drove me to the memorial hall where in the span of 5 minutes I was warmly greeted by Mike Callahan, Michael Pollock, Rick Lanman, Mary O’brien, Brock Dolman, Kate Lundquist, Sherry and Ted Guzzi and I thought, oh, I know these people, I can do this.

Tim Robinson was leading the session, and what I hadn’t understood before is that he had presented at a conference some pretty uncheerful information about beavers and gotten a SLEW of heated responses and emails which made him curious to learn more. I think an old Martinez supporter (GK) had tipped me off to his presentation at the delta conference, and I had written him an eyeful. To his amazing credit he actually sought me out and invited me to this talk along with a team of the most intelligent beaver advocates on the planet.

Rick started the day and competently went through the evidence about where beaver belonged historically. Eli went next and showed where they are right now. Then it was my turn and as always, talking about the Martinez Beaver story with footage and photos was very well received. A tech woman on hand made sure every one’s talk went perfectly and it was an awesome morning, By 10:30 I felt relaxed and pleased.

After the break, Michael Pollock presented on steelhead and beavers from the bridge creek data. (Does he ever get nervous? I don’t think so.) Then Tim presented on the unique challenges he faced with beavers on the Santa Ynez river which is a controlled water management system that releases water for the lower valleys. Then Kate talked policy and Mike Callahan talked about his adaptions to flow devices to allow salmon passage.

It was an amazing morning. After lunch they all went for a beaver fieldtrip on the Santa Ynez, and Jon and I dashed home to get things ready for dinner after a well-earned picnic in the sun looking at the beach.

I had invited folks for dinner at 6:30 but at 6:15 Mary called and said the fieldtrip had run long and they just got back. I wondered honestly if anyone would show and wistfully thought about the number of enchiladas we would be forced to eat on our own, but by 7 Mary, Michael Pollock (and his very smart tribal attorney girlfriend Karen), Sherry and Ted, and Mike Callahan were all there. We sat on the deck and drank beer while the sky darkened and the air cooled and then we funneled inside to Jon’s enchiladas and guacamole where our very small table hosted the most intelligent lively cheerful beaver conversation this side of the atlantic.

Somewhere in this day, I had the feeling of heavy accomplishment. Like a massive boulder I had been cheerfully pushing up a bumpy hill for seven years had just reached the top. I felt like beaver momentum was finally turning and it felt both relieving and weirdly a little sad – almost as if I was missing something.

I think now that what I was missing was the naive me of 7 years ago that foolishly started this journey in the first place. Without any of these companions, she felt like every part of this job was up to her thinking, planning and execution. I remember her as passionate and fearless, and I learned so much from her commitment. I am so glad she was (is) a part of my life. But I’m glad she’s not alone any more and really glad that dam rock is up the hill.

I know there will be other hills and valleys. But today I will sit in the sun and rest.

Offspring Springs Off

heidi08 Beavers elsewhere, City Reports, Creative Solutions, Educational, Friends of Martinez Beavers January 5, 2012

Beaver Deceiver Now at Work on Incline Creek

In the interest of protecting water and sewer infrastructure in the Tyrolian Village area, Incline Village General Improvement District Public Works recently commissioned Sierra Wildlife Coalition to install a beaver deceiver device in Incline Creek at a critical culvert, upstream from Diamond Peak Ski Area.

This creek drainage is home to several beaver families. The beavers’ tree cutting activity was creating culvert blockages, which was resulting in stream bank erosion and washout of the culvert. The beaver deceiver is a non-lethal wildlife management tool designed to make it much harder for the beavers to block the culvert. It is designed to protect the water and sewer infrastructure without having to trap and remove the beavers. The device does not affect the beaver’s feeding, lodging, or reproduction. Info: IVGID Waste Not, wastenot@ivgid.org, (775) 832-1284, ivgid.org.

Our Tahoe friends finished their first year amid astonishing successes to show for it – Sierra Wildlife Coalition 2011. Flow Device installations at Incline and Tahoe Donner, trees painted at the request of the Army Core of Engineers, protests and negotiations at Truckee and a pesky porcupine resolution. (No, I’m not kidding.) They’re that good. Go read the whole thing and enjoy their successes.

I’m impressed with every part of their achievements and couldn’t be prouder of how they grew up or what our tiny scholarship helped encourage. But I’m frankly awestruck that Department of Public Works paid them to put in a flow device. Paid them!!!

(Worth A Dam is apparently such a bunch of slack-jawed yokels by comparison that we can only get DPW to take a beaver out of a mural.) Sigh.

Never mind. If we had enough encouraged folks to do wayyyy better than us, California will eventually be in pretty good beaver shape, which means salmon runs will be restored, bird populations will flourish and maybe we can retire.

Now if we could only get them to handle that pesky beaver festival…