School of Environmental and Vocational Arts
365 Seva Lane, South Kortright, NY 13842
The Public is invited to a free lecture-workshop
How to manage Floods and Beavers.
Presenter: Skip Lisle is a biologist with a Master’s Degree in Wildlife Management.
Skip favorite activity can be summed up as “improving wildlife habitat.” However, growing up in rural Vermont (USA) he gained a special appreciation for beavers early in life. His parents would drive him to local beaver haunts at dusk to watch them. Then, when beavers arrived at their own property, observations became even easier. Throughout his childhood, Skip watched as their relatively sterile, manmade pond began to teem with life as beavers slowly raised the water level and re-shaped the topography with dams, canals, and lodges, making the habitat more structurally complex and valuable. It soon became clear to Skip that beaver-created wetlands, or flowages, were special. Shortly thereafter, beavers began clogging the culvert on the town road that runs through his family property. When this happens, there are only two effective responses: to do something to physically protect the culvert, or to kill all nearby beavers in perpetuity and, with them, all associated wetland values. Needless to say, Skip went looking for some of his father’s old garden fence, and the first crude Beaver Deceiver was born. Upon graduation, he got a job with the nearby Penobscot Indian Nation. The Tribe has over 150,000 acres of beautiful land with a serious problem of clogged culverts. They asked Skip to come up with a reliable, long-lasting remedy, and his “flow device” career began in earnest. Today Skip Lisle is well known internationally for his knowledge in beaver management and his invention: http://www.beaverdeceivers.com/bio.html
Native Americans call beavers “The Sacred Center of the Land because they create a rich habitat for other animals, fish, turtles, but we have to learn how to manage them. We now know that beaver damming provides an essential natural services for dealing with drought. Climate change and water issues are only going to continue to grow. We need to continue finding solutions for these issues. Utilizing beavers as part of our plan towards harmony is one great solution.
Enjoy a short walk to see a beaver’s dam and their pond and ask Skip Lisle the question you might have.
Join us May 16th Saturday 2 to 4 pm
Children with parents are invited
This is a Free event. Donations are welcome.
SEVA - School for Environmental and Vocational Arts
365 Seva Lane, South Kortright, NY 13842
Please call to register:
845-679-9258 or email: mercedesartjsj@gmail.com
Some links where you might like to read about his work:
http://www.martinezbeavers.org/wordpress/about-2/ Agents of Change Skip Lisle
https://www.forestfoundation.org/woodland-leave-it-to-beavers
