Why this underappreciated rodent is one of California’s best chances to fight climate change
They’re stocky, furry and usually a bit damp, and they’ve been underappreciated for decades. But not anymore. Meet one of California’s best climate-change fighting tools: the beaver. Lauded as some of nature’s most effective engineers, a motivated group of beavers can divert rivers and streams with their dams of sticks and mud and, in doing so, keep the land they occupy moist, helping fight the ongoing drought. … This year, the state has begun harnessing the beaver’s potential, pumping over a million dollars into restoring these industrious rodents in each of the next two years.
Related articles:
- New York Times: It Was War. Then, a Rancher’s Truce With Some Pesky Beavers Paid Off.
- Reno Gazette Journal: Climate change impacting Nevada’s pika, especially near Tahoe
- Estuary Pearls: State to boost beaver efforts