Several very wonderful things happened this year, starting first and foremost with the fact that OUR BEAVERS CAME BACK!!! 2017 was quite a year for beavers. 
January 2017
1-23 Beaver stories don’t have endings. They have chapters.
1-3 Worth A Dam releases first ever Newsletter celebrating 10 years
February
2-23 State of the beaver conference 2017 – Worth A Dam presentation
2-8 Worth A Dam plants trees with SF waterboards help
March
3-22 Beavers As Sacred – and a treasured dissertation
3-1 Earth Island “We’re Better with Beavers”
April
4-23 Martinez sighs 10th anniversary card for beavers – Earthday
4-14 In which I blast NHNPR for lying about beavers – with some success
4-9 Martinez works to help Utah man keep his beavers
May
5-26 Our story retold to a local photojournalism student
5-13 Beaver presentation at Safari West
June
6.27 Beloved author of ‘Lily Pond’ Hope Ryden dies
6-19 Friend and friend of beavers Ted Guzzi dies
What a helluva a year. In April the beloved partner of our Artist died as well, and for the first time in a decade she was so overwhelmed by the loss that she couldn’t create wonders with children at the beaver festival. Rest and recover.
July
7-28 Beavers and salmon Wild Alaska PBS
7-15 Methow Project makes Beaver Centerfold
7-5 Beaver author Ben Goldfarb hears Martinez Tale
August
8-17 Beavers given Creation Myth
8-6 Beaver Festival 10 might be my favorite
September
9-22 Beaver Institute website launches blessed with Cheryl’s photos
9-11 Martinez Beavers go to American Canyon
9-8 Beavers rediscovered in Alhambra Creek!!!
October
10-28 Beaver benefits on Autumnwatch
10-25 Martinez Beaver Webinar thanks to Furbearer Defenders
10-10 All our friends are on fire
November
11-16 Website meltdown: Scott Artis generously repairs it
11-07 That DAM meeting, 10 years later
December
12-19 Ranger Rick will feature Martinez Beavers in May
12-03 Martinez beavers featured in new book coming this June
As you can see, there are plenty of bright headlines to review, but honestly, looking back through the highlights (and lowlights) of the year it was startling how to remember how many awful things happened in sequence. Through no fault of our own or (our beloved beavers) there were deaths, fires, website crashes and grim tidings on so many fronts. (And that’s not even addressing politics or hurricanes!). In a way it was actually relieving to see what a horrid mix of days his Annus horribles had contained, because it explains how weary, drained and braced we’ve all been feeling.
Here’s looking for brighter days and more beaver kits in 2018!
