During the week I usually get a few beaver-related blurbs that aren’t juicy enough for a full post but are still are worth sharing. This week was no exception, and I’m thinking that Friday is the perfect day to run some little stories to get us ready for the weekend.
First up is the exciting back story to LK’s butterfly observation. She wrote that she was seeing clouds migrating over highway 4. Apparently she wasn’t the only one. Gary Bogue wrote a column for this week’s Contra Costa Times on the enchanting migration of “painted ladies”, from the desert of their birth in Southern California. In case you missed them, here’s one to identify for next time.
How about another reason to reintroduce beavers in Scotland? This news from the BBC talks about an alarming decline in the Cranefly population, leading to a staggering loss in the bird population. The problem is climate-change related, cause by the loss of pools where flies can reproduce. The article suggests creating a series of (wait for it) little dams. “For example, by blocking drainage ditches on our Forsinard reserve in the North of Scotland we hope to raise water levels and reduce the likelihood of the cranefly larvae drying out in hot summers.” Now we know what can make and maintain those little “ditches” for you.
Remember the beaver problem that appeared every morning for conflict resolution to a South Carolina Farmer? Kristin was wondering how to adapt a beaver deceiver to a spillway, so I wrote Skip Lisle and he got in touch with her. Soon those beavers will be roundly deceived.
If you have an even longer memory you might recall the beavers at the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau Alaska. They had the good fortune to attract some hardworking volunteers (and an award winning photographer) who gathered together to regularly help undo the beavers most troublesome handiwork.The beavers were slated for extermination but temporarily saved from the executioner. We admired their effort and got in touch with them. The primary concern was allowing passage for large Coho Salmon and making sure that beavers, (or beaver-devices), didn’t interfere with this lucrative fishy business. Word is that they are working hard to secure a comprehensive beaver management plan for the area; one that doesn’t include trapping. More on this later.
There will be another class at Mt. View Sanitation next weekend, specifically on planting for pollinators. It will be taught by Jeff Alvarez, founder of The Wildlife Project who it turns out is a big fan of our beavers and has agreed to help his friend Kelly help us with our interpretive sign design. Let’s get some beaver friends to increase the turnout.
Go Native – Planting for Pollinators
Saturday, April 11, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
Attract birds, butterflies and beneficial insects. Learn to diversify
your garden by including California native plants that provide food, shelter and nesting places for wildlife.
Nothing to do the weekend after that? Wrong. The John Muir Birthday-Earthday Celebration will be an rollicking good eco time. Plan to be there on Saturday April 18th between 10 and 4. In addition to the bagpipes, remarkable displays, performances, and the ever popular recycled trash fashion show, Worth A Dam will be in prominent display, our first since fall. We will be raffling two hard to get tickets to the Creek Seekers Express eco tour ride from Jack London to Martinez. It will feature a guided lecture from the marine curator of the Oakland Museum and never before seen footage of the Martinez Beavers. Don’t miss your chance at getting to participate in this historic opportunity.
