Beaver Poems

Beaver Consortium

heidi08 Beavers elsewhere, City Reports, Creative Solutions, Educational, Environmental, Why We Care October 17, 2010

You might remember that last year I wrote about the “State of the Beaver” Conference in Oregon organized by the South Umpqua Rural Community Partnership and the Cow-Creek Umpqua at their casino in Canyonville, Oregon. Everyone of beaver note was there, including Skip Lisle, Sherri Tippie and Michael Pollock. I very much wanted to be there too, and I wrote Leonard Houston begging for 15 minutes of space for the famous Martinez Beavers. He promised to make room but in the end our timing didn’t work out and we mournfully decided not to go.

Guess what came in the email box Friday?

I wouldn’t exactly describe it as an invitation. It was more like a royal summons without the letter head. It said “Heidi, we have added you onto the schedule on the second day of the conference, along with Sherri Tippie, Glynnis Hood and Steve Zack. We’ll pay food and lodging and if Worth A Dam covers your travel expenses we’ll add your organization as a sponsor.” He went on to add,

We are targeting Traditional Ecological Knowledge, wetlands, climate change, beavers birds and wildlife and breakaway brainstorming sessions on day 3. We will of course be including non-lethal management and alternative solutions for problematic beavers. Lot to squeeze in but we are going too.

Now, dear readers, let me just say privately to you how enormously affirming it is to be formally on the schedule and granted accommodations. (Come to think of it, I have, in my vast professional career – for which I went to college for ten – count them ten years and received a license from the State of California – I have as a psychologist attended many conferences from Louisiana to Michigan where I’ve presented and even been paid for my time but have been given accommodations for exactly ONE of them.) Hmm. Apparently my psychological skills are a dime a dozen. But my beaver skills, for which I received no formal training whatsoever, might be worth investing in! Who knew?

Readers of this website must all know Sherri Tippie, but the other names might be less familiar. Glynnis Hood is the Canadian researcher who has been the driving force behind the argument that beavers can mitigate the effects of climate change.

“Removal of beaver should be considered an environmental disturbance on par with in-filling, peat mining and industrial water extraction,” said researcher Glynnis Hood, lead author on the study and an assistant professor of Environmental Sciences at the University of Alberta’s Augustana Campus in Camrose, Canada.

Not to be out done, Steve Zack is the co-author behind the “Beaver Dams increase songbirds” research. I remember when his article came out the folks at Wild Birds Unlimited laminated several summary pages for us and were very pleased to finally have a formal reason to explain their friendliness to the beavers. Being in the same lineup as these remarkable heroes from the beaver-research frontlines is intimidating in the extreme, but also very, very exciting.

(What do I know about beavers really that’s worth a an hour of anyone’s time in that setting? These folk don’t need to be told that beavers mate for life and don’t eat fish! What does an accidental beaver advocate have to contribute to the conversation? I mean besides having a lot of great footage and images of them, observing their effects close at hand every day for the past four years, organizing opposition to local government, coordinating support, using research to combat ignorance, endless education and outreach, seeing the beavers make a difference in hundreds of children’s lives, and seeing hundreds of children make a difference in the beavers lives, maintaining a website that has become a global hub of beaver information, helping launch a DVD about beaver management, reviewing and advising countless cases of beaver activity across the nation, instigating a research project to document historic beaver prevalence in california, and getting famous beaver folk to spend a little more time talking to each other.)

Come to think of it, I guess I have rather a lot to say.

Okay, I won’t be intimidated. This is a great club to be invited to. I’ll sit in the front row, write everything down and ask a hundred questions. I’ll sing the praises of Worth A Dam and argue that any city smarter than a beaver can keep a beaver. I’ll show how beaver families interact and if anyone asks me my ideas about charging property owners a ‘salmon tax’ for killing beavers I’ll make sure I let them know where I stand.

Thanks, Len.

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On a separate note, GTK wonders how many beaver mom’s can possibly die in one year?

Behind the Scenes

heidi08 Beavers elsewhere, Creative Solutions May 20, 2010

I received this email last night from Leonard Houston of the South Umpqua Rural Community Partnership in Oregon. You might remember that these are the good people who sponsored the “State of the beaver conference” last February. He had some very interesting backstage insights into what happened in Newberg. I thought I’d pass them along to you.

Here is what is really happening, a fellow beaver advocate who is also a ODFW (Oregon Department Fish & Wildlife) biologist informs me that the Newberg beavers have moved upstream and on to property where they are welcome and are currently posing no threat to the culvert so they will be left alone, there will be no lethal management used as the State has adapted a policy allowing translocation of problematic beavers for restoration purposes and founding new colonies in historical habitat.

We are currently working with the ODFW Beaver Workgroup to enact a landowner incentive program to compensate damages or loss of crops to promote beavers being allowed to stay where they are, as we both know the benefits out weigh the liabilities.

The involvement of people such as yourself is the key to educating the public on the importance of the role beavers play in our aquatic ecosystems. Thank You for taking the time to help with beavers everywhere. We have offered our services to the City of Newberg and the local ODFW who was contacted to find a solution. They will be keeping us updated if things change for the worse.

Sincerely
Leonard and Lois

Now isn’t that interesting! Nothing to worry about and a friend at ODFW! A landowner incentive program! Beavers relocating when kits are born! I suggested to Len that I might connect him with the journalist who wrote the nice article in the Graphic, but he declined. He prefers to do his behind the scenes work and leave the visible drama up to crazy beaver defenders like us.

The whole thing reminded me a bit of Michael Frayn ‘s romping success “noises off“. Act one shows a very familiar, somewhat tedious farce being produced in the usual way with the usual vanities. Act 2 turned the whole set around and put the audience backstage and privy to the intrigues and foibles that drove and chased the actors. For Act 3 you were back facing the front, but still knowing all the drama of the back, understanding now how the play should go, and sensitive to all the reasons why it might not. Very smart comedy. I can’t find a clip of the cast I saw in London lo those many years and four presidents ago, but this is a nice production and gives you the general idea.

Will there be an Act 3 to the story of the Newberg Beavers? We’ll just have to wait and see.

Oil this morning in the Keys, because contrary to popular belief, the gulf of Mexico isn’t a bathtub and the contents actually go other places too. Now the oil is in the Loop Current and is getting pulled down the coast. Maybe people will take it seriously when it comes around the Atlantic.

State of the Beaver Conference: Update

heidi08 Beavers elsewhere, Beavers or Social Ambasadors, Creative Solutions March 16, 2010

Beaver Friend Leonard Houston, the chair of SURCP who worked tirelessly for this years “State of the beaver” conference in February, was so inspired by Brock’s description of the salmonid restoration conference he had to write a summary of his own. Here’s a little taste of the wonders he and the others brought to the beaver table.

State of the Beaver 2010, After Shock

The February 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th, State of the Beaver Conference hosted by the Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Indian Tribe , co-hosted by the South Umpqua Rural Community Partnership’s, Beaver Advocacy Committee and The Partnership for the Umpqua Rivers at the Seven Feathers Resort and Convention Center can be viewed as a tail splashing success.

From the Tribal welcome by Steven Rondeau of the Cow Creek Indians, to Leonard Houston of the Beaver Advocacy Committee’s opening speech, the conference took on a life of it’s own. Dr. John Hadidian, Director of the Urban Wildlife Program, of the Humane Society of the United States was first at the podium where he took us on a journey back in time, from early American beaver management to current human animal interactions. His presentation was not only inspiring but thought provoking as he challenges us to find non-lethal techniques to deal with beaver issues that we might enjoy beaver benefits.

Following Dr. Hadidian, from Norway, Dr. Duncan Halley of the Norwegian Institute of Nature Research took us to Europe where we learned of the beavers reconquest. Duncan taught us how conflicting human / human issues are more the forefront than human / animal issues.He also taught us how those issues have been resolved, allowing beaver reintroduction which has been successful throughout most of Europe. Dr. Halley spoke again as keynote presenter at the Beaver Banquet once again taking us world wide with human animal conflicts and the human resolutions in order to preserve wildlife and protect human interest.

Beavers and salmonid production was brought to life and light, by scientist Dr. Michael Pollock of NOAA. Michael is a well known research ecologist recognized as the foremost expert on west coast salmonid production and the relationship to beavers.Continuing the beaver, fisheries relationship, Jeff Rodgers accredited designer of the Oregon Coastal Coho Conservation Plan, appendix 3, and representing the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, beaver workgroup shared with us his research, and how beavers positively impact salmonid production.

Completing day one was Dr. DeWaine Jackson, of the ODFW presenting the Pilot Study of beaver translocation efforts here in the Umpqua Basin’s. DeWaine is the lead researcher for the entire project which encompasses both forks of the Umpqua.

Day two began with a new and exciting project utilizing a fish hatchery as a beaver nursery to hold captive beavers until family units are established before release. Kent Woodruff was kind enough to present this collaborative effort partnering agency and the Yakima Indian Tribe of the Okanagan Region of Washington.

Dr. Suzanne Fouty a fluvial geomorphologist showed us that beavers radically modify degraded stream systems, collecting sediment and recharging aquifers while elevating water tables. Her presentation was both scientific and passionate displaying a side of science seldom seen and richly rewarding.

Greg Jaclke an ODFW biologist then taught us of the past and present beaver management practices in the John Day River Basin in north central Oregon. Greg has an acute understanding of people and beavers with a promising future in beaver ecology.

Sherri Tippie of Wildlife 2000 then took us on a 24 year slide show of how she has moved over a thousand beavers. Sherri is a licensed beaver translocator by the state of Colorado and a true pioneer in beaver reintroduction.

Skip Lisle owner operator of Beaver Deceivers International then showed us how a wide array of his non-lethal management devices save beavers lives while allowing us to enjoy the many beaver benefits. Skip was another dual presenter hosting a four hour workshop on building and installing beaver deceivers and flow control devices. Skip was followed by Stephanie Boyles of the Humane Society of the United States on the cost and efficacy of Skips devices. Stephanie’s presentation showed how the state of Virginia hired Skip to install his devices in areas of beaver roadway conflict and how those installation and maintenance costs compared to prior costs associated with the same sites, it was nothing short of amazing.

Lewis Pence a retired Idaho Soil and Water Conservationist taught us how he used beavers to restore degraded streams in the high desert country of southern Idaho, his straight forward presentation was a visual confirmation of everything we had learned so far. Following the banquet to which we were welcomed by Sue Schafer of the Cow Creeks and featured Dr. Duncan Halley as keynote presenter, the conference quickly became a networking extravaganza.

Day three began with Mary O’Brien of the Grand Canyon Trust, outlining the new Utah statewide beaver management program. Mary is a former Oregon resident who is doing amazing things in the field of beaver ecology. Dr. Jimmy Taylor of the USDA, APHIS, Supervisory Research Biologist then presented on the current research programs and beaver management policies of APHIS and his own beaver management actions. Jimmy is a very forthright and honest scientist who is actively pursuing non-lethal management techniques to enable beavers and humans to exist harmoniously and beneficially.

Following Dr. Taylor, Leonard Houston of the Beaver Advocacy committee, then took us along with the BAC and ODFW releasing and following transmitterd beavers of the Tiller Beaver Research Project, it was a first time seen presentation showing us where beavers go and what beavers do after being relocated. Leonard’s presentation then focused on future beaver plans for the South Umpqua, Elk Creek, Salmon Recovery Restoration Project and how landowners are partnering with agencies to provide habitat and home for beavers.

Steven Rondeau , Natural Resource Director of the Cow Creeks then shared the spotlight with Lewis La Chance, Cultural Resource Director of the Cow Creeks. Lewis presented telling us of how the Cow Creeks held beavers in high esteem and of great cultural significance. Steven Rondeau then talked of perspective of life and beavers focusing on how his people had survived to regain their rights and how it was similar to the plight of the beaver. Steven teaches us that when faced with incredible challenges, we can prevail.

The State of the Beaver 2010 has not only served as a powerful educational tool it has brought about a unification of agency and activist, it has created a n opportunity to work together to create a new future, one in which man and beaver exist harmoniously.