To the editor: Common sense is finally replacing ignorance and the aggressive acquisition of material goods, as it is clear that returning beavers to the areas where they once thrived has greatly contributed to maintaining the Earth's healthy ecosystem. As the man-made climate crisis is bringing us an unwanted drought, it is essential that we do everything we can to prevent it from happening again.
To do this, we need to remember how this situation was alleviated in the past, and one of the main components was beavers doing what their nature dictates, which is to build dams and restore wetlands. Having almost completely decimated this useful species in our distant past, we are beginning to appreciate their unique ability to create landscapes that preserve much-needed water supplies.
These creatures are invaluable and were already prized by members of Native American tribes who long mourned their grave loss to European trading companies. Now, as we face the ravages of fire and drought, glimmers of that appreciation are appearing in the form of beaver reintroductions. Though long overdue, this is splendid news for these invaluable creatures, for other wildlife and their habitat, for the tribes of the Sierra and California more broadly.
Elaine Livesey-Fassel, Los Angeles
