All the News About Denver’s Best Residential Community Since 1960 • Volume 59, Issue No. 12 • December 2020
INSIDE THIS ISSUE PAGE 2 PAGE 4
Some Have Been Saying That For Nine Months Compiled by Cara DeGette Editor, GPHN
Whew. This is a year that has tried the patience of many. Hobbled since March by COVID-19, we collectively lived through wildfires, police killings, the wackiest po-
litical season in memory, and heated debate over wearing masks. Some took their grievances to social media, stirring up firestorms of virtual anger. Others took their pent-up energy outside, to packed bike trails or the solitude of the mountains. Many lost close friends and family mem-
DECEMBER, 2019 ‘Not Just The Loudest Voices’
Park Hillians love green space, preserving the character of the neighborhood, and a vast majority want to keep the Park Hill Golf Course land entirely green space. continued on page 6
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Farewell, 2020
bers, businesses have struggled mightily. No one was not touched in some way, in this pandemic. The following are highlights — and lowlights — of the past year, which many people have been begging to say goodbye to since March.
Next Year, Please Pass The Popcorn GPHC Leaders To Focus On Diversity, Parks, Preservation, Safety, Transportation East Area Plan Adopted Amid Neighborhood Opposition 60 Years On Elm Street: There Is No Slowing Dick Young Down
Thanks To Our Advertisers. We Can’t Do It Without You
UPCOMING GPHC MEETINGS Community meetings are currently conducted virtually on the first Thursday of each month. The next meeting is Jan. 7 at 6:30 p.m. There is no meeting in December. Link to attend at greaterparkhill.org/ join-us/community-meetings/ Check greaterparkhill.org for info and details.
Trees that are targets of beaver activity are obvious on close inspection. They have stripped bark and characteristic gnawing marks a foot or two from the ground, with the trunks surrounded by wood-chips. Actual beaver lodges are harder to find. Tippie says that many beavers build “bank dens” or “bank lodges.” These are burrows in the side of streambeds hidden by layers of sticks and branches, which are harder to find than the traditional teepee-like domed lodges seen in a mountain pond. Tippie says that late fall is a very active time for beavers, as they are busy building caches of food before winter arrives.
An ecosystem for everybody
Don’t Fear The Beaver Tree-cutting, Paddle-thumping Rodents Are Thriving in Denver’s Waterways Story and photos by Reid Neureiter For the GPHN
Concerned about global warming? Out of control wildfires? Soil erosion? Water quality? Loss of species? One part of the solution may be that busy nocturnal rodent of legend—the North American beaver, castor canadensis. Once trapped to near extinction, the species today is thriving in Denver’s urban waterways. According to Denver beaver advocate Sherri Tippie, by harvesting trees, building its dams and digging canals, these 50 to 80-pound animals with paddle-shaped tails can transform otherwise barren landscapes into flourishing wetlands. In doing so they create environments for dozens of species of fish, reptiles, birds and larger mammals. National Geographic’s September 2020 issue contained an extensive article titled, “How beavers became North America’s best firefighter,” explaining that the animal “creates fireproof refuges for many species, suggesting wildlife
managers should protect beaver habitat as the U.S. West burns.” Tippie, an expert in humane beaver relocation and author of the pamphlet Working with Beaver for Better Habitat Naturally, says that most all of Denver’s area waterways have beavers, including the South Platte, Bear Creek, Cherry Creek, Sand Creek, and Tollgate Creek in Aurora. One does not have to go very far or look very hard to see evidence of Denver’s beavers. There are at least three beaver dams along Cherry Creek between University Boulevard and South Monaco Parkway. And along the South Platte River, just west of the National Western Complex, over the months of September and October, a very busy beaver (or family of beavers) took down a number of cottonwood trees adjacent to the bike trail, working just feet from the path of oblivious cyclists. One tree was so large (with an 18-inch diameter trunk) that the Denver parks department had to send out a crew with chainsaws to clear the downed log.
The City of Denver supports co-existence with beavers. Vicki Vargas-Madrid, wildlife program administrator for Denver Parks and Recreation, says the city’s beaver management objectives include minimizing potential conflicts related to beaver activity, and supporting the animals’ role in the urban environment. Educating Denver city-dwellers about the importance of beavers to the ecosystem, she says, is most important. People sometimes get upset when they see a fallen tree, says Vargas-Madrid, “but we have lots of trees … and beavers take only what they need.” Vargas-Madrid described a conflict last winter when bicycle path users were upset a beaver dam had flooded part of the Cherry Creek trail, which then iced over. “We started to get complaints. Riders did not want to take another path,” she said. Denver’s beaver management program includes tree and vegetation assessments. For trees that are deemed worth protecting, such as certain cottonwoods, willow, ash, or newly-planted landscaping trees, city officials may fence their bases with heavy gauge steel wire mesh. They also paint bases of some tree trunks with a 50/50 mixture of paint and sand, and leave other undesirable trees and vegetation for the beavers. At some beaver-dammed waterways, Denver installs water flow control devices to prevent excess flooding. One successful trademarked flow device is called the “Beaver Deceiver,” the website of which advocates against trapping or killing nuisance beavers. “Because wetlands are so important,” notes the website, “beavers might create more value for other wildlife and society than any other animal on Earth.” Vargas-Madrid agreed that trapping and relocation of beavers is not a preferred option. Beavers are territorial, and removal of one beaver means another will just come along to replace it. continued on page 12