This article about Skip Lisle installing beaver deceivers in Poland is a few years old, but worth a look.

Beaver/Bird lovers, don’t forget that the San Francisco Bay Flyway Festival begins Feb. 1!

This is a letter from Mike Callahan of Beaver Solutions to Heidi, but we really think it applies to everyone who has supported the beavers:Dear “Beaverlady”,

Your efforts are Herculean. It is so difficult to promote coexistence with beavers in an urban setting, especially one that is prone to flooding without beavers. Nevertheless, your efforts have given these beavers a fighting chance at survival.

Irregardless of the City’s final decision with the M. beavers I hope you can see that your efforts have had huge positive effects for not only the Martinez beavers, but also for beavers everywhere. Along with others, you personally have raised beaver awareness in the California masses. Not an easy task, and extremely important if our society is to evolve a better culture of coexistence with the animals on this planet.

I thought you should know how impressive your efforts and results have already been, because I know when a person is in the middle of a fight it is hard to see the entire battleground. I’m glad you are involved. Thanks.

All the Best,

Mike

Jon Ridler 

Saw one baby at the dam and then by the lodge coming out onto the sand bar (not so small when it’s out of the water!!), grabbed a big stick and made off to the dam.  Both sides of the dam have been built up, these guys know what they are doing!! 

San Jose Mercury News

Contra Costa Times

1.28.08
7:00 - 8:00 AM
Cheryl Reynolds

The beavers were having a late, lazy morning. The two kits were in and out of the lodge biting off small twigs to take in with them. Dad came swimming up from the bridge below the dam with a branch and took it to the lodge. A little while later he came out again with a fat branch heading to the dam. I Couldn’t see what he did with it but he came back without it. Before they retired for the morning they took a leisurely float in front of me at the entrance to their den.

We went back out tonight and there were no beavers around. There was only a young racoon that went in one of the large front entrances to the lodge and came out side ( kit ) entrance. He went swimming over to the sandbar and left.

Ahhh the media has fastened onto the idea that the beavers have washed away, or left, or were killed in the recent rainfall–or even will be back in the spring!?!  But its not the mayor’s birthday yet…Martinez still has beavers. Let me write that again.  MARTINEZ STILL HAS BEAVERS.  An adult and kit were seen feeding last night, by Moses, and a kit seen this morning going into the lodge by Jon.  They are cautious about the water speed, they are biding their time, but they haven’t gone anywhere.   Remember that mom is pregnant with this year’s kits and would probably prefer not to relocate just at the moment.

Since the major media outlets have repeated the story that this washout was entirely natural with no hand of man  involved it can only mean the city is very pleased that the dam did what we promised it would do, which is come apart when it needed to without any human intervention.  We don’t even need a cable because it will come away by itself!  Check what amount of rainfall over what amount of time and write it down that this is what it takes to remove the dam.  This story of no human interference should prove the beavers can stay. 

(Or it would if it were true.)

Whatever debris was removed from the cable in that two hours of pitchfork labor contributed significantly to what mother nature had done.  It was witnessed by residents and filmed by Moses.  It has greatly upset the humans.

The beavers, however, seem fine.

On a different topic, please take a moment to read Gary Bogue’s column about the Bush administrations plan to kill endangered grey wolves

Fast water has raised the level again for the confused beavers. No activity seen this morning, but the current was very strong and they may called it an early night. One thing that was in evidence though was a chorus of pacific tree frogs. This is the first time I’ve heard that many at the sight: just another sign of how the beavers have improved the habitat. “Amphibians, as a group, are sensitive to changes in water quality and so are considered indicators of environmental cleanliness.” Pacific Tree Frog