So I have a day job that’s focused on the complicated work of helping parents and children and mostly I make a conscious choice to stay out of things when I’m not in the office, but flashing in my minds’ eye was the possibility of the toddler falling into the creek, dad jumping in to rescue her, a kit swimming over to investigate and someone getting hurt. The city would go ballistic and the beavers would get blamed and I’ve have a zero sheet-pile tolerance policy. So I braced myself and said he needed to pick her up, and that she wasn’t allowed on the wall. He of course replied that he knew how to parent his kid, and I should mind my own beeswax but picked her begrudgingly up, which was my only goal. Tragedy averted. Beavers and toddlers safe. Stressful but safe.

As I was leaving that night I saw another rough-looking young man with a befrocked two year old daughter on the opposite bank. He had brought her down to see the beavers but it was so dark he thought it better wait until another night. I was still cautious from my last parenting interaction, so I was slinking towards the car but he asked brightly when was the best time to see them, and how mother had died. I answered some irresistable questions. He was happy to know that the three kits were safe and that he could see them if he came earlier while it was light. He also worried sweetly about the pipe, saying, “I heard they put that in to catch the beavers” which made me smile. “No, no. Its a good pipe. It helps the beavers stay here” and he was so pleased and said he’d come back another night.

(Someone tell Skip, if the pipe was put in to “catch” the beavers, it’s not working very well!)

So the night of risky parenting was rounded perfectly by a glimpse of delightful parenting, and the beavers continue to make more friends than even I can manage to make enemies.  Three were seen last night, ooohs and ahhhs were spoken, and the tale of the “Good pipe” lives on to be told another day.

Mind you, this is the same case where the trapper got the memo that there was a temporary hold on the killing but wasn’t able to disable the traps because he was too busy. So one beaver died “by accident”. There are regulations about the frequency of checking traps but of course these are KILL TRAPS not snares so they only need to be checked like every two weeks. This horrible photo from the site shows the complex and advanced technology of 600 years of beaver killing: Rip out the dam and kill the beaver when he comes to fix it.

Good luck Jack! This is a media opportunity! March in with your supporters and a few dozen children and say that you were protecting the council from the massive bad press they were going to get if someone got hurt. How far away from the homes were these traps? It might be worth checking out the regulation. If all else fails hold an auction or a fundraiser so that the community can “purchase” your citation. Frame it and donate it to the local library along with a couple articles from the Toronto Sun.

From September to November in 2007 I was so alarmed that the beavers were going to be killed I don’t think I did anything but worry and canvas. I remember Jon and I would hang out by the dam on the weekend talking to media and anyone that seemed inclined to listen. When the dynamic unexpected council meeting happened my fears were paused, but not eliminated. I knew that meeting had slowed the tanker, (which was a HUGE achievement) but not yet turned it around. I very much hoped I would get to be on the subcommittee but I thought it was a long shot. I remember realizing that I should ASK to be appointed, which was not a thing I was used to doing. When my request was answered I launched into serious research mode and prepared a reader of articles addressing what I guessed would be the primary concerns for letting the beavers stay: Flooding, Burrowing, Water quality, Fish Passage, Reproduction and Mosquitoes. I made nine copies of the reader with tabs and photos and a spiral binding and distributed it to every subcommittee member that first tuesday night. I still have mine, and I’m very proud of it.

It’s safe to say that I hoped for success, but I always expected to fail.

Things didn’t look any more comforting from my view on the subcommittee. As I moved closer to the inner workings of the council and staff I never felt more reassured. Quite the opposite, I realized more keenly what we were up against. Prejudice and fear were deep, powerful, leviathan beings that lurked at the end of every sentence. The more I advocated the more dangerous I understood the beavers world had become. Those 90 days were as unreal as any I have known; I listened every tuesday to horrific lies and distortions, smiled politely and tried to speak up, doing my best to challenge them with a respectful, cheerful bunch of facts and running in a panic to my ‘beaver experts’ whenever I got in over my head.

During this grueling work, I was invited by Igor Skaredoff of Friends of Alhambra Creek to speak to their group. Mitch Avalon who was also on the subcommittee was running the meeting. Both of these men eventually became great beaver friends, but they didn’t start out that way, and I was anxious about presenting to them. They met in the public works office, which was a grisly omen as far as I was concerned. The room must have had thirty people arranged in a triangle. They were smart biologists and park rangers, some bemused at my beaver-hobby, some supportive and some openly hostile. In those early days I hadn’t yet understood that the very first place to look for beaver friends is the watershed council. (If they aren’t there naturally the smallest nudge of data will usually do the trick.).

The night was actually excellent, I had no slides or video or talk prepared back then. I just spoke about the role of beavers and my work to save them. I remember at the end a lovely woman said such a surprising thing - about my doing so much for them, giving so much time and energy, did I have a thought about why?

I was taken aback. I hadn’t realized I was giving alot, I had just been aware of not doing enough. It moved me greatly and I answered with a swell of feeling. “The beavers gave me a gift. They let me wake up early and find a wilderness 8 blocks from my house. They let me film them and watch their secrets. They gave me something wonderful. I can give them back a year.”

(Yes in those days, I thought I’d be done in a year. ha)

That night I got back into my car in the public works parking lot on Glacier drive and before I put my key in the ignition, paused to reflect on the night. It it hit me. For the first time. We were going to win. It had never really seemed possible before. But that February night I knew that the beavers were going to stay in Martinez and the council would have to accommodate them. I know that Igor and Mitch would eventually be on the side of beavers, and that there would be only one anti-beaver voice left on the subcommittee. The beavers would win. We would win. I would win. And he would lose.

That brief epiphany of success was shocking in a way that I hadn’t expected. I was used to anticipating things going wrong, and the knowledge that they were going to go right was startling but wholesome. It was less like “I always knew it would happen” and more like “Jesus Christ, we’re actually going to win this thing!” It was completely surprising, that little moment under the streetlight in the parking lot.

Not withstanding a council that wouldn’t vote in April, and the cardboard-carrying beaver “expert” invited to refute our findings, or the sheetpile wall or the massive lying that continued, I turned out to be right. We DID win. And to all extents and purposes, it was that night, the night that friends of alhambra creek became friends of beavers, that did it.

I mention this because yesterday I had a similar ’success’ moment. This time about the festival. I’ve been worried with details and printers and schedules and rentals and contracts. The t-shirts came back from the with no letter and one of our bands looked like they might pull out and the boyscouts might not sell water. But suddenly yesterday, in a brief moment of clarity, I knew that this festival was going to be wonderful. Organized and delightful and bursting with educational fun that would change the way 1000 people saw beavers forever.

It was a nice feeling. You had better come for yourself to see if I was right.

We are just ten days away from Beaver Festival III, an event that began as a very local effort to pressure our stubborn council to do the right thing and became an inspiration for similar events in other cities — two in Canada! This years festival will draw visitors from all over california, and we know of at least three that are coming from out of state! The picture above is from the truly unique event brochure designed by our volunteer graphic artist Libby Corliss. (Check out the “V” in beaver and let me know if you recognize that tail!) There will be five hours of live music, environmental displays, children’s activities, beaver tours, unique gifts and education. A children’s procession at noon will unfurl the very beautiful “beaver banner” which was created by child artists at the flyway festival and earthday this year. It will be carried through the park and then hung on the footbridge through the day in celebration. Get your cameras ready!

A much anticipated part of the day will be the Keystone charm bracelet activity - free for the first 100 children. (Up to 25 adults who can’t bear to be left out can participate for a $5 materials fee.) This enormously popular activity was hatched at the flyway fiesta and adapted especially for this unique event. Children learn facts about the way beavers affect their habitat and earn charms by explaining how it all works. Friends of Alhambra Creek will have the dragonfly charm. Salmon Protection And Watershed Network will have the salmon charm. Native Bird Connections will have the Bird Charm. Lindsay Wildlife will have the Otter charm and Worth A Dam information will of course have the beaver charm. There will be a ‘linking station’ where children can go to have their charms added and at least 4 girl scouts guides roaming and explaining to make sure everyone understands.  At the end of their activity the children will have a truly unique reminder of their day, that they can use to explain the value of beavers in the watershed to their friends, or their class mates, or their parents.

Meanwhile, our delightful and talented artist Frogard Butler will be helping children work with acryllic paints to populate a two sectioned mural of Alhambra Creek. She created the diptych basis for the creek design with the help of another artist from East Bay Artists Guild and children will be invited to add beavers, birds, willow, catails — as they see fit. The finished panels should make a lovely and movable display, and can hang alternately at the library, the city building, the district office or even the train station! Smocks, brushes and guidance will be provided, and all artists (young or old) are encouraged to participate.

Beaver tours will be lead throughout the day by close-observor, Jon Ridler. Learn about the primary dam and secondary dams, new lodge, how the flow device works, and see actual sign of beaver chewing. Maybe you’ll spot a resident muskrat or green heron! Remember everything so you can come back after dinner and see the event for yourself. The steel beavers created by Paul Craig for Mom’s memorial will be on display, and mom’s unique tail will be on the back of every Worth A Dam t-shirt. Visit Kathi McLaughin at the membership booth to see that this year we are also offering baseball caps and bumper stickers as thankyous for donations. The boy scouts will offer water for sale and Luigi’s popular store will offer a satellite for drinks and beaver memorabilia. Local vendors will include Wildbirds Unlimited and Divine Creations. Facepainting artist Alana Dill will be there to turn your child into a beaver or wood sprite, and when you’re done with all that stop back at the silent auction and increase your bid so that you can be sure you get what you want! Don’t forget to pick up a free beaver (temporary) tattoo from the information booth.

Top auction items this year include an overnight, dinner & tour at Safari West, tickets to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, San Francisco & Oakland zoos and a host of generous donated wildlife puppets from Folkmanis. If you’re lucky you might pick up a unique framed photo from Cheryl Reynolds that will be a permanent reminder of the Martinez beavers. The silent auction closes at three, and when you’ve picked up your winnings and said your goodbyes at four, head over for an leisurely dinner at Lemon Grass Bistro or La Tapatia so that when you finish at 7 you’ll be ready for some actual beaver viewing! What a better way to end such a unique day!

Click on the photos or video to hear some of our musicians!

Heard last night that our friends at the Raging Grannies are working on a short melodrama about our watery adventure to mark the third occasion of the beaver festival. The exciting tale of the dastardly plot to kill the beavers foiled by the “manly Vermonter” will flutter the feminine pulses of many. I’m pretty excited about it myself. I heard this morning that they could use a male volunteer to play the hero, (with or without shirt). I promised I’d ask for volunteers!  Anyone interested in helping out? No acting, singing or beaver experience necessary.

Blue Whales are the largest living animal on earth - not just currently, but EVER in the history of the world. They are bigger than elephants, than mastadons. bigger than brontosaurus. The rolling back of a blue whale emerges from the water like a new penisula. They spout heights of 30 feet. If they lived on land their massive weight would be impossible to bear, but their unmatched bulk is maintained with the smallest of food.

This food is abundant right now in Monterey Bay, and blue whales are being seen every day, usually in groups. Krill are considered (brace yourselves) a Keystone Species because they are so essential to the diet of so many creatures, and because they themselves feed on the smallest plankton, seamlessly tying our oceans together. (Clearly our keystone species is way better, because who would ever have a krill festival?) (Ahem, blue whales! that’s who!) The bloom of krill is also bringing humpback, dolphin, squid, even birds. This excellent graphic is from the Sacramento Bee which had an outstanding article this weekend about the blue whale extravaganza going on right now.

I went searching for some youtube glimpses of these remarkable animals. Most are filled with the kind of gasping human noises that one associates with the sighting of rare wildlife. Whale watching boats are frantically adding tours to make space for more people to see them. People are flocking in droves to experience the splendor. I particularly liked the stunned silence of this one: a zodiak driver alone who was clearly not expecting company. Listen all the way until the fluke emerges. (Youtube is being wonky today, but keep trying, honest).

Because of their massive size Blue Whales were too big to be hurt by the whaling industry until relatively late. Sail boats and harpoons were no match for them. There were once 350,000 thought to roam every ocean in the world. In the late 1800’s, a clever Norwegian came up with the exploding harpoon gun, and the macabrely pragmatic idea of filling the bodies of dead large whales with air so they wouldn’t sink the boat. Blue Whales didn’t become the target of choice until 1900, but in a trim 30 years 99% of their population was destroyed. Now the numbers hover around 8000-10,000.

The good news is that the killing stopped, and these remarkable animals seem to be doing okay. If you have a chance to sneak away to Monterey this week you might want to go see for yourself.

Rumor is that the losing council members of Oshawa’s “don’t-kill-the-beavers” vote are directing staff to prepare a cost statement that will prove that saving those dam beavers is too expensive. There has been a request for us to tell them what it really costs and prepare a materials list. I offered my best initial advice, suggested that they add up all the money spent on trapping for contrast,  but then thought better of my own efforts.

Bemoaning Beaver Expenses is never about what’s true.

I can remember the wasted effort to control the city’s record of the expenses for our beavers: OT staff hours for uselessly taking down the dam, 5000 for 11 police officers at the November meeting to control a potentially rowdy public, money spent for them to “research” non-solutions and don’t forget the vast sums spent on consultants who said the beavers were a liability; a grand total of 75,000 dollars delivered by staff to the subcommittee. Not to mention the half a million spent on pointless sheet pile a year later. The city was hoping that the massive dollar sign would convince martinez that the beavers weren’t worth it. It worked for a few citizens, but mostly didn’t matter.

(People are used to cities wasting money.)

In the end, (and I can feel my IQ dropping as I saw this…) it is less about what’s true and more about what’s popular. This is the great life lesson I learned from beavers. I told our Oshawa friends to do some basic work preparing a materials list but to stay focused on motivating public opinion. Making the beavers more friends was going to do more to save them than struggling to prove they will be cheap.

This amazing photograph is of Doris Forbes and her beloved beaver, Mickey, the official Mascot of the city I wrote about last week where a beaver had attacked several dogs at a local dog park. In 1939 the kit was found mauled by dogs and unable to use his back legs, and cared for by the Forbes. (Mrs. Forbes was a nurse.) He recovered from his injuries and lived in their home until he got too big and then had a special place built for him in the garage. As many as 200 letters arrived a day for Mickey and his keeper, Doris. Sometimes as many as 50 would stop by to see the beaver, who was especially attached to the little girl.

Mickey lived for 9 years as the beloved pet of the Forbes and became the official Mascot of Red Deer. He died peacefully in his sleep and he and Doris became the subject of a bronze statue in town. Footage of him appeared in hollywood films, his image sparked the design for a beaver costume, and his story was told by Kerry Wood in a novel called “Mickey the beaver and other stories”. In his peaceful, well-loved life he taught people about beavers and the good that they can do. And his memory certainly shaped the mercy that dog owners were able to show in saying the beavers shouldn’t be killed.

Except one was.

Someone shot one of the Red Deer beavers. The body of a 3-4 year old beaver was found Monday by a canoer, and the town is reeling from the shock that someone would bring a weapon into a city park and take matters into their own hands. This is the kind of shocking death that breaks through the barriers if a woman who reads about 10 beaver killings a week. We were so close. The city had listened to options, the residents had defended the beavers, 4 property owners offered relocation, and the city was starting to realize that it may not even be necessary with a little intelligent fencing.

And one of the beavers was shot.

Again I ask, was it mom? Was it dad? Was it the ‘guilty beaver’? Will there be more? Will the person be back tonight or tomorrow to take out the rest of the colony?

The town of Red Deer has been shaped for 70 years by stories of beavers. With the massive import of the fur trade it is safe to say that beavers are the bookends holding together its entire existence. It had better do right by them.

So the citizens of Oshawa marched into the council meeting last night with signs and banners and stuffed beavers and demanded to keep their aquatic rodents. The experts did what experts do and defended their earlier position and said things like “beaver deceivers don’t work” and that doing nothing was not an option and that lives and property could be lost. (Martinez residents can well imagine because we were there, oh lo those many years ago, and we know EXACTLY how everyone pontificated.) But in the end the council did the right thing. By a bat-squeak of a majority they voted 5-4 to not kill the animals and look for other solutions. Hooray for our team! In the head rush of victory last night Marissa posted about wanting to do a beaver festival, so I would say the beavers of Oshawa have done their “community changing” work handily.

Speaking of our own community, Worth A Dam approached the city council regarding a memorial for mom beaver. Artist Paul Craig did some lovely metal silhouettes of mom and three kits (based on cheryl’s photos and adapted by our graphic artist volunteer, libby)  which we would like to hang in memoriam. We had talked about three possible locations because we were worried they might not go for the sheetpile idea. Surprisingly, last night every member of the council said they thought the sheetpile was a lovely idea. They again thanked Worth A Dam for the work. There was smiling as the metal beavers were displayed for view and I was directed to talk to staff about getting them hung.

Go figure!

As if that wasn’t exciting enough, the vet from Lindsay Wildlife came down to meet the beavers last night and got the full show. One little fellow was on the “wrong side” of the dam at 7:30 and wasn’t seen going over during the past hour but might have sneaked by when we were talking to the council. He seemed to be trying to get back over and was blocked by all these sticks and obstacles. We were worried he had forgotten where the gap was, and just about ready to sneak over and line the path with apple peels when he decided to stop fooling around and headed straight for the gap. He obviously knew where it was the whole time, he was just trying to “discover” a new way.

Whew!

So he trotted gamely over and swam about, grabbing some branches. 45 minutes later a second kkit came over from the wrong side!!! Clearly these are BEAVERS WITHOUT BORDERS any more. They go where they please, and we had better go whereever they please too if we’re going to see them!