One of the places I always imagined going with our canoe was the Boundary waters. The Kabetogama Peninsula, which lies entirely within Voyageurs National Parkd makes up most of its land area, is accessible only by boat. To the east of the park lies the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It’s on the edge of Minnesota among the great lakes. There are trails and campsights only accessible by boat or canoe, and some of the most remote camping the US can offer.
Yesterday a headline crossed my newsfeed that I declined to write about. I figured readers of this website didn’t need to know how prominently beavers featured in the wolf diet. Then I saw a post on facebook that made me take notice.
Guess who the AUTHOR is?
The secret lives of fish-eating, beaver-ambushing wolves of Minnesota
That’s right. The author of Eager. The man who came to our festival last year. The winner of the Pen science writing award. Beaver Ben. OUR Ben. Writing for national geographic!
Sniff. They grow up so fast.
“This wolf’s been on a beaver-killing rampage,” Gable says as he inspects a low branch snapped in the struggle. “He’s already killed at least four this spring.”
Comparing the beaver’s scattered remains with the GPS points transmitted by V074’s collar, Gable reconstructs the attack. The wolf, it appears, had hunkered down in the wetland and waited. As a beaver trundled past during its nightly dam maintenance, the wolf sprung, subdued his prey after a brief battle, and consumed the body in a spruce copse—bones, fur, and all. (Meet the rare swimming wolves that eat seafood.)
Picture Canis lupus on the hunt, and you likely imagine a pack racing across a Yellowstone valley on the heels of an elk, not an individual wolf skulking through a swamp to ambush a rodent. Over the last seven years, however, a research initiative called the Voyageurs Wolf Project has revealed that the region’s wolves have surprisingly eclectic tastes.
Do you recognize that inviting prose and deft turn of phrase? I was mighty surprised when I saw this come up on Ben’s facebook feed and read that National Geographic sent him to Minnesota for this story. I guess that’s a sort of reasonable explanation for not coming to the beaver festival. But just barely.
Gable and colleagues have detected wolves chowing down on swans, otters, fish—even blueberries. What’s more, rather than exclusively chasing their prey, wolves lean on a diverse repertoire of hunting strategies, some of which hint strongly at advanced cognition and even, perhaps, culture.
“We’ve seen that wolves are far more flexible than most people had realized,” Gable says. “That gives us a new understanding of how they’ve proliferated across the Northern Hemisphere.”
I can believe wolves fish. I had a labrador once that fished.
But I’m thrilled that Ben gets to be the one that breaks the news to the public, National Geographic is an awesome place to write, and you can fully imagine that once they have your name on one byline it will show up again and again,
Go read the rest of the article to learn more exciting facts about wolves, but here in Martinez we’re going to selfishly focus our our own local headline.
Beaver Festival returns to Susana Park June 29
This year, the 12th Martinez Beaver Festival once again will celebrate the aquatic animals that are a key species in California and other states.
In announcing the 2019 edition of the festival, founder and president Heidi Perryman said, “A decade ago, Martinez found itself at the center of controversy over some furry neighbors nobody expected.”
Beaver supporters also formed “Worth a Dam,” an organization that has become a longtime advocate for both the animals and the humane approach that allow the beavers to remain in Alhambra Creek while preventing their dam from aggravating the downtown flooding.
Besides meetings and advocacy, advocates decided to plan a gathering to celebrate the aquatic animals that gradually have become one of Martinez’s iconic symbols.
“Defenders guessed the beavers would be harder to kill after residents threw a party for them, and in 2008, the first Beaver Festival was born,” Perryman said.
Hurray Gazette! Fingers crossed I can get something in the Times next week. One of the things that will never cease to amuse me about seeing my name in a news article is the way reporters refer to you by your last name. Like suddenly after years as a civilian you’re in the military or on the Broncos or something. “Perryman get out there and make Colorado proud“.
Napa artist Amy G. Hall will return to Martinez to spend two days creating a chalk mural showing beavers and the other wildlife species they sustain. This will be displayed in Susana Park’s central plaza.
Attendees can watch as she paints.
Each year, the festival has a special event for children, and this year, youngsters can participate in a special treasure hunt to find the “Lost Key to the Waters.” Those participating on the quest will be awarded a commemorative key.
“They say when life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade, but when life gives you beavers, you should definitely celebrate with a ‘dam’ fine festival like this,” Perryman said. “Come see for yourself what only Martinez has to offer!”
Lovely! Great job reporter Donna-Beth Weilenman, whom I just learned is retiring this week, We will miss you! That makes it official. Just about every media contact I made during the great beaver bruhaha is fired or retired. It’s a new world baby. But it’s still a beaver world.
Set the clock. This time next week we’ll all be floating in it!
