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Photos from Third Annual Beaver Festival
Sometime around 2006 two beavers showed up in Alhambra Creek. It is thought that they made their way to the historic town of Martinez, California from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Within a few months the pair had produced a litter of three babies. That's about the same time when the powers-that-be became alarmed about "beaver encroachment"...and a battle to save the lives of the beaver family was born.
Top photo: The Raging Grannies at the Third Annual Beaver Festival, using a beaver puppet as part of their musical skit. Photos courtesy http://www.RagingGrannies.com and *Worth a Dam* environmental group.
More photos and more about the beavers here: http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/08/07/18655607.php and below.
A few years ago the beavers of Martinez stood accused of chewing through creekside landscaping the city planted as part of its 1999 flood-improvement project. Beavers chew branches both to eat and to build dams so they have a pool to dive into to escape from predators.
Beavers, when in habitats not frequented by humans, have been seen working on their dams during daylight hours. Nowadays they are more likely to be viewed as nocturnal animals who spend most nights patching and weaving their dams. Especially after rainstorms, they busily repair damage, diving for mud and collecting sticks and branches.
Beavers have been called industrious, but by 2006 they were being described by the City Council of Martinez as "compulsive" and plans were made to destroy or remove the beaver family. But Martinez is also known as the city of John Muir, and activists made their plea: Not only are the beavers good for the environment, they're good for education, they insisted.
After much struggle, the battle for beavers was won. Today, during the third annual Beaver Festival, the Raging Grannies presented the story of the Martinez Beavers in skit and song. In the song below by Granny Gail, they praised the group *Worth a Dam* that led the fight to save the beavers. The Grannies' song describes some of the other species that have arrived since the beavers took up residence in Martinez. An added bonus, say the Grannies!
Alhambra Creek (tune: Moonlight Bay)
We were strolling along-- Alhambra Creek
We could hear the people saying--Oh my, Oh dear
Folks are coming to see Alhambra Creek
And it's thanks to Worth a Dam that they come here
See the heron and mink, the otters too
They have come because of beavers --that's something new
They have stolen our hearts
We've come to view
And it's thanks to Worth a Dam Who saw it through
More photos and more about the beavers here: http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/08/07/18655607.php and below.
A few years ago the beavers of Martinez stood accused of chewing through creekside landscaping the city planted as part of its 1999 flood-improvement project. Beavers chew branches both to eat and to build dams so they have a pool to dive into to escape from predators.
Beavers, when in habitats not frequented by humans, have been seen working on their dams during daylight hours. Nowadays they are more likely to be viewed as nocturnal animals who spend most nights patching and weaving their dams. Especially after rainstorms, they busily repair damage, diving for mud and collecting sticks and branches.
Beavers have been called industrious, but by 2006 they were being described by the City Council of Martinez as "compulsive" and plans were made to destroy or remove the beaver family. But Martinez is also known as the city of John Muir, and activists made their plea: Not only are the beavers good for the environment, they're good for education, they insisted.
After much struggle, the battle for beavers was won. Today, during the third annual Beaver Festival, the Raging Grannies presented the story of the Martinez Beavers in skit and song. In the song below by Granny Gail, they praised the group *Worth a Dam* that led the fight to save the beavers. The Grannies' song describes some of the other species that have arrived since the beavers took up residence in Martinez. An added bonus, say the Grannies!
Alhambra Creek (tune: Moonlight Bay)
We were strolling along-- Alhambra Creek
We could hear the people saying--Oh my, Oh dear
Folks are coming to see Alhambra Creek
And it's thanks to Worth a Dam that they come here
See the heron and mink, the otters too
They have come because of beavers --that's something new
They have stolen our hearts
We've come to view
And it's thanks to Worth a Dam Who saw it through
For more information:
http://www.martinezbeavers.org
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