EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

heidi08 Who's saving beavers now? September 17, 2018

Are you a wildlife loving, hard worker who’s always dreamed of living in nature?

The Unexpected Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey’s unexpected loss might be your incredible gain.

In case you don’t know the story, the history of the Refuge begins with a love of wildlife. in 1961, Cavit and Hope Buyukmihci, with their three children, purchased an 85-acre tract in Buena Vista Township, located in the Pinelands, halfway between Philadelphia and Atlantic City, New Jersey. Mostly wooded swampland, the purchase included a cabin and an old barn on an acre of cleared land, and a stream which beavers had dammed to create a large pond. The Buyukmihcis were distressed by the increase in land development, reducing the habitat available for wildlife in Southern New Jersey. Since childhood, Hope had enjoyed the delightful wonder of bluebirds nesting in the spring, and it was vital that she passed along her respect and love for nature to her family. The couple decided to dedicate their land to habitat preservation so that native wildlife and habitat could thrive.

For years and years the refuge was run by the unflappable Sarah Summerville, and when a replacement was needed they scoured the boundaries and thought they’d found the answer. But she has to leave and the a new search goes on. I was asked this morning to pass on the invitation to apply for the job of a lifetime.

Unexpected Wildlife Refuge is seeking a residential onsite manager. This is a rewarding and challenging position for a responsible and self-motivated individual who is interested in nature and wildlife and maintaining land as protected natural habitat. Preference will be for a person who is at least a vegetarian and who has practical experience with wildlife or academic training so that they are knowledgeable about wildlife in general. We will also consider someone without this experience, but who is motivated enough to learn about indigenous species so that they can be an asset to the Refuge’s education and outreach efforts. The manager lives onsite in provided, free accommodations, including utilities.

If you or someone you know is interested in this opportunity, please send the following by E-mail only, to Nedim Buyukmihci, president, ned.trustee@unexpectedwildliferefuge.org:

1. Letter explaining why you would be the ideal candidate;
2. an expanded resume; and
3. full contact information for at least three people who can critically vouch for your commitment to wildlife or non-human animals in general, abilities, reliability and honesty (at least one of the people should be your most recent or current employer, none can be a relative and your relationship with each should be made clear).

This link will explain what you need to know about the position. It requires a fairly unique combination of skills including advocacy, outreach and refuge maintenance. What a great place for a budding novelist, painter, young couple to awaken their muses while making such a difference in a place where such a difference is needed

Here’s former cartaker Sarah showing off the resident beaver lodge.

Going deep

Two recent stories have new information that I’m grimly going to share. To start with the mayor of “Tom’s River” who was going to “consider humane alternatives to trapping” turns out not to have considered them very long. Times up! Beaver trapping season is open and no one should be surprised at his conclusion.

Activists angered by decision to trap Toms River beavers

TOMS RIVER — A state-licensed trapper has been hired by the township to remove beavers whose dam-building activities have led to complaints from neighbors who live near Lake Placid.

The township’s decision to hire the trapper — who began working in the area Dec. 27 — frustrated representatives from Gloucester County’s Unexpected Wildlife Refuge, who met earlier this month with Toms River officials in an attempt to convince them to use nonlethal means to prevent the lake’s beaver population from building dams that have flooded neighboring properties.

“Trapping is the only viable, long-term solution to provide a practical and financial means of responding to the presence of beavers on town-owned and managed lands,” a statement issued by the township reads. “Trapping ensures that property damage and human health and safety risks are minimized and that quality of life is preserved for residents.:

Township officials said that in spite of their efforts, more beaver dams have appeared in Lake Placid in recent years. Moving the beavers is not an option since the state Division of Fish and Wildlife does not allow relocation of the aquatic rodents, officials said.

The township says the beaver dams “alter waterways, destroy forests and threaten homes and roads.” Beaver trapping in New Jersey runs from Dec. 26 to Feb. 9.

Ugh. I’ve highlighted your “Proceed governor“moment. That’s where I’d start my response.

If I were there I’d try saying something like “I’m relieved to hear it’s a long term solution, Mayor.” Then follow up with “How long?” Brightly cheerful. “How long did you say the trapper is guaranteeing his work?” Wait a second, and then “Because Mike Callahan guarantees his installation for five years, I’m assuming that trapper will come back and do whatever is necessary for that long too?” See if you can get them to acknowledge that when new beavers move in the city will have to pay again. See if you can get them to talk about the payment for the trapper and how long it usually takes beavers to recolonize adequate habitat.

I agree that its rotten the city said they were pretending to look for solutions while the press was there. And then did exactly what they had always planned the second their backs were turned. But stop recommending compassion, because no ones listening. Talk about saving money. Talk about hiring a trapper four times in five years versus letting you install the culvert fence for free. And ask the mayor which he thinks is a better use of taxpayer funds.

Van Hof, of Unexpected Wildlife Refuge, said her group offered to pay for installation and maintenance of a trapezoid-style fenced beaver deterrent that she said has been proven to have “98 percent effectiveness in historically badly flooded municipalities.” She said the trademarked beaver deterrents suggested by the group, called either “Beaver Deceivers” or “Culver Clear,” require almost no maintenance.

She said the group offered to visit the site weekly to monitor the effectiveness of the beaver deterrent device. The longer beaver deterrent devices lead the beavers farther away from the culvert or pipe and prevent them from successfully damming it, Van Hof said.

Great work offering to do it yourself. Now follow up with the statement that “Rather than allowing us to carry this cost you’re saying its better make tax-payers do it?” And see if you can get that covered by the papers. They are being weasels, and not the pretty kind. Let slip the watchdogs of war. (In a very polite way.)

cooper crane — **Cooper Crane posing in Worth A Dam shirts after our legal challenge failed to stop the sheetpile was installed thru the beaver lodge.**

More news about the firecracker beaver from our longtime German friend Alex Hiller (posing here for photo with Skip Lisle at the beaver symposium a few years back). He researched the local papers and found that the tragic death really did happen about a week ago. He highlights that fireworks are illegal in Germany and these were probably purchased in Poland. He writes,

It is a sad story you forwarded to me. Unfortunately the incident is being approved by necropsy. The corpse of the female beaver kid of 6 months age was being discovered at the bank of a lake besides the castle of Koenigs-Wusterhausen. The wife of the local hunter had witnessed teens throwing firecrackers into the lake the day before. The incident happened about a week ago.

What was being discovered by necropsy were ear drums on both sides destroyed and ripped open. Its liver and brain had clogged blood vessels resulting from shock. Death was caused from drowing, because lots of water was found in its lungs and stomach. It was assumed that firecrackers could have caused an underwater shockwave resulting in the beaver kid`s death.

Alex is a trusted beaver researcher with boots on the ground. He even found a grisly article from B.Z. showing the ruptured eardrums. (Because German papers are like just that.) So this means it really happened and that when people blow up dams they occasionally blow out beaver eardrums. . (Which is quite upsetting to think about.) It makes me worried for our little beavers in retrospect. And now I’m thinking that maybe that ‘mourning beaver’ recorded by Bernie Krause also had his own hearing loss and couldn’t tell how loud he was being?

You can watch that if you dare, I never will again because it is just too sad. The bright spot in this gloomy follow-up is that Worth A Dam still has a generous beaver friend in Germany who is willing to do some research and translating for us when needed. Thank you Alex, for your valuable aid, and hopefully the next story I ask you to sniff out will be a more beaver cheerful one!

Small Beaver World

heidi08 Beavers elsewhere, City Reports, Creative Solutions, Environmental December 27, 2012

The entrance sign to the Crows Woods Nature Preserve. Credit: Shelly Castorino

You may remember the horrific New Jersey beaver tale last year, where the local animal control officer Mark Johnson went out of his way to shoot two beavers in the public park and everyone scrambled to deny responsibility for the action. Because of the location and the college town ambiance, there was enough outrage to eventually charge him with a very minor crime, but no judge would hear the case and it kept getting moved farther afield to find someone that didn’t owe him favors. Go figure.

Well Haddonfield is about 45 miles south and very beaver savvy. They have taken it upon themselves to offer us the best possible beaver story in contrast. Brace yourselves. This is a once in a lifetime gift. A woman like me dreams of this kind of fortune, but doesn’t ever think it’s really possible. Take a deep breath and inhale the coming scent of 2013: where apparently anything is possible.

The Beavers are Back!

By Shelly Castorino

After a two-year hiatus, beavers have returned to Haddonfield’s Crows Woods Nature Preserve.

Vinny and Sal Calla, students at Haddon Heights High School, spotted two beavers swimming near a drain pipe that runs under the PATCO light-rail line earlier this week.

“We were trying to get a closer look when one beaver started slapping its tail on the water,” Vinny said. Sal explained “slapping the tail on the water is how they scare away predators.” Vinny and Sal were close enough to the beavers to capture excellent pictures of the furry duo.

For months, hikers, runners and visitors to Crows Woods have noticed dramatic changes to the shoreline along the Cooper River that runs through the preserve. Trees up to 12 inches in diameter were strategically cut to fall towards the river. Curved wooden shavings surrounded the base of each tree. The tell-tale signs of beaver activity were there, but until Tuesday morning, no one had seen an actual beaver.

Look at the reporter’s name. Castor, as you know, is the latin word for beaver, and ‘ino’ is a suffix meaning diminutive. So Castorino, Shelly’s lovely name, literally means LITTLE BEAVER. I imagine that a reporter from Patch could wait their whole life for the story that represents their destiny. An automotive story for Mr. Carman, a woodcutting tale for Mrs. Carpenter, a lost feline story for Lenore Delgato. But this for Shelly Castorino is an opportunity of epic proportions. Folks will be celebrating this in the news room for years to come.

Oh and Crow woods? It’s already under the watchful eye of our beaver friend Sarah Summerville at the Unexpected Wildlife Refuge. This entire Patch article is a beaver-fan’s Christmas treasure!

Beavers in the Crow’s Woods Nature Preserve

By Butch Brees, Haddonfield Parks Conservancy Trail Restoration Coordinator, and former Scoutmaster of Troop 65, Haddonfield, NJ

A few short months ago, the members of the Haddonfield Parks Conservancy of Haddonfield, NJ, became aware of a beaver, or beavers, beginning activity in establishing a new lodge in the 44-acre Crows Woods Nature Preserve. Not being an expert in the activities and processes of a young beaver establishing his new home, and being the Parks trail restoration coordinator, I contacted Sarah Summerville for information and lessons in Beavers 101. It wasn’t more than a few days and Sarah made the trip to meet with me and view the area where the beavers had begun building dams. It had been a long time since I had seen Sarah since I retired as Scoutmaster, so it was nice to see her again. Her information was extremely helpful in helping us to make a decision as to whether to let the beaver remain or try to have it removed.

From the sacred to the profane…

heidi08 Beavers elsewhere August 30, 2012

Because this website doesn’t want to be accused (after yesterday’s historical-nerd post) of being too dry and scholarly, I thought it was high time to draw attention to Sarah Summerville’s very interesting column in the Beaver Defender Newsletter this month. Seems she was wrestling with the sexual pun of beaver, and recalling that she had actually had a conversation about it once with the famous Hope Buyukmihci of ‘beaver sprite‘ fame.

My my my! People from New Jersey are so ladylike aren’t they! Around here we’ve been much more direct about the merkin analogy in one form or another. Well thanks for the column Sarah, which also has a drop dead gorgeous account of her meeting her new kits and touching noses with them. You can receive your very own newsletter by signing up here.

But while we’re on the topic can someone please explain why the other ‘beaver ladies’ collect funds for writing a newsletter 4 times a year and this beaver-lady writes a column about beavers 365 days a year for free? Being that we’re heading towards the 2000 post it seems a good time to ask?