There are lots of reasons California should be caring more about beavers. Salmon for one. Groundwater and drought area another. But the most recent issue to fuel interest in our flat-tailed friends lit up the sky a few months ago and is fresh on all our minds. I was reminded of it vividly by this clever campaign.

To Prevent Fires, One California Town Says ‘Goat Fund Me’

Nestled in the foothills of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains is the quaint Gold Rush town of Nevada City. Surrounded by unkempt brush, the old, highly flammable city is in danger: With California’s wildfires raging with unprecedented ferocity in recent years, one spark could doom Nevada City to the same fate that neighboring Paradise met in November.

But not if the goats get there first. Realizing its predicament, Nevada City has launched a crowdfunding campaign to pay goats (or, more accurately, their herders) to clear brush at the edges of town. It’s called, yes, Goat Fund Me. And it’s part of an ungulate awakening: All across the state, business is booming for herders as panicked homeowners and towns reckon with the wildfire menace.

Heh heh heh. “Goat fund me“, Now that’s clever. some one gets points for that. And it’s a smart way to get some media behind a solid idea. Thinking about the brush everyone has stopped seeing and some realistic solutions for getting rid of it.

On their own, goats only do part of the job; they’re more of an advance party. They get in there and strip out the brush enough for human crews to come in with chainsaws to cart away the bigger branches and such. Of particular convenience is the fact that goats will happily eat poison oak. “They’re cute little things, but it’s only one little piece,” says Senum. “Who doesn’t love a goat?

Still, the firefighting ruminant business is booming in California, beyond Nevada City. “It seems like everybody kind of woke up with these big fires,” says Fowler. “And I tell you what, there’s a huge opportunity. If somebody wants to get into the business, now would be a good time.”

You know what would be an even better idea? Of course you do. To bring in beavers. They would get rid of the fuel and increase the water content in the soil all around them to boot. Now we just need a catchy name.

Any suggestions?

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Lisa Hodge is a reader of this website and a Wildlife Rehabilitator at Valley Wildlife Care, Inc. of Virginia She recently launched this campaign to raise money for the group. I thought the beaver was so sweet and the message so fitting that our readers might want to help out a bit.

Lisa’s message on facebook read:

I hope you all will be as supportive as you have been in the past. This shirt is extra special because my good friend Michele Sommers of Sommers End Originals did the design. She made the idea I had inside my head come to life for us and I am so very grateful.

Click here to purchase your own and support the good work done by these wildlife friends. I ‘met’ Lisa after she rehabbed a beaver and fell deeply in love with the kit in her care. She has been devoted to the animals in her care and of course that kind of behavior deserves your support.