“I have the fever to save the beaver!”
I’ve never been an environmental activist, never been one to attend pep rallies and I recycle when it’s most convenient. This isn’t to say that I don’t care because on the contrary I really do. Even though I may not be very earth conscious, though I do try, I do love animals and I do believe they should be left alone but cared for. Does this make me a lazy activist, a part-time pacifist? Mayhapsibly.
I heard about a protest taking place between 3 – 6 p.m. today at the 31st Street Wetlands. I love the Wetlands and anytime I can drive that way to & from work, I do. I felt drawn to go and did. I didn’t actually stay more than 30 minutes but I did stay long enough to take some pictures & interview a few protesters.
Here’s the story as I know it…
According to the Lawrence Coalition for Peace & Justice, Mr. Perkins, the Operations Director for Douglas County Highway Department, confirmed that a beaver dam has been removed from the southeast end of the Haskell portion of the wetlands beside 31st Street. He ordered the dam to be destroyed, he says, in order to insure that 31st Street would not flood if we got more rain. In actuality this beaver work was well below the street level. Water regularly goes over the top when it rains.
All three county commissioners have been notified. None were apparently aware of any wetland drainage project.
Haskell WPO students have been working on a nature trail and eco-walk on that side of the highway for months and have a small grant and donated materials promised to complete the project, which is now essentially dead. Also killed are untold hundreds of amphibians, fish, nesting birds whose young are now exposed to predators, and wetland animals who have suddenly become homeless and are being flattened as they try to cross the road.
As I was leaving the protest I was at the stop sign at Louisiana & 31st when I saw a small slider turtle attempting to cross next to my car. I immediately put my car in park, turned on my flashers and jumped out to place him further off the road into the grass & heading away from traffic. Haskell students photographed almost 100 road kills on 31st Street before rush hour began.
So why *did* the beaver cross the road?
Because his home was destroyed!
♥ Kimberlee ♥
Dave
