“Lord, give me chastity and continence, but not yet!” Augustine of Hippo (354-430)
This infamous prayer to be made chaste eventually (preferably sometime around old age) popped in my head when I thought about CDFW’s new found love of beavers and saw this article in lake county news, Maybe they are not in such a hurry to change their ways all at once.
California Outdoors: Beaver observation survey, engaging diverse groups, wildlife officer employment
Q: Is there a way for the public to get involved in CDFW’s beaver restoration program?
A: CDFW welcomes information from the public as the department strives to gain a better understanding of the current range of beavers in California. The first comprehensive beaver population survey conducted in California can be found on CDFW’s website. The California Beaver Observation Survey includes questions on the date, location, type of activity, and the number and size of the beavers observed. Photos of the beaver activity, location and lodge can be submitted through the survey page as well.
This was VERY exciting news so of course I rushed to the website to see the survey.
Um…Crickets..
There was no survey or even a note to say “Survey coming soon”. I can;’t imagine why they decided to release the story before the actual roll out but go figure. So I guess the very minimal effort needed to get other people to count beavers for you hasn’t even begun,.
Oh God make me appreciate beavers. but not yet.
The Beaver Restoration Program is a result of shifting attitudes toward the benefits of beaver families in the environment. There’s a growing recognition of the ecological improvements linked to beaver activity, as opposed to the animal being considered a potential nuisance species by some in the past.
CDFW considers these animals ecosystem engineers by playing a role in restoring watersheds while increasing resiliency to climate change and wildfire.
The development of the survey comes after CDFW launched the initial phase of its beaver translocation activities, recently conducting the first beaver conservation release in nearly 75 years with the goal of re-establishing a breeding population.
Geeze, we just released 7 beavers and Chuck Bonham cried. Isn’t that enough for you people? It takes TIME to do these things. And we all agree that we need to treat beavers like they matter.
Just not yet.
