Shh don’t argue. I don’t often share religious articles on this website but when they’re right, they’re right!
God’s invisible attributes can be seen in the visible creation (Romans 1:20), and we can glorify Him by recognizing those attributes in His creatures as we care for His planet. The water engineer of North America beautifully displays God’s attributes of wisdom, intelligence, and provision.
That sounds like my best day at church EVER. Don’t you agree?
Aquatic Engineer at Your Service—North American Beaver
In drought-plagued California, teams of engineers are restoring wetlands and replenishing depleted aquifers, and they’re doing it dirt cheap. In fact, they’re not interested in money at all. They just want a nice place on the water, and they’re willing to build it themselves. Along the way, they transform the parched landscape into a lakeside resort. Meet the North American beaver, a truly extraordinary animal engineer.
How’s that for a doxology you can believe in? I confess I read this article in terror waiting for the sentence that was going to justify trapping because “God provides for his people” but it never came. From start to finish this is pretty good beaver gospel.
God designed beavers beautifully for a double life. They live on the water but get their food and building supplies on land. Beavers eat several different plants, especially trees, and they can identify plant species by smell alone. Aspen is their absolute favorite, but they also like cottonwoods and willows.
The beaver creates his aquatic abode by constructing a barrier out of tree branches, mud, and stones to dam a stream. The resulting pond helps protect the beaver from predators and gives him a safe place to build a lodge and store his winter food. Because beavers change the whole structure of the surrounding community, they have been dubbed a keystone species in each new area where they work.
Well now. I always knew if I kept looking long enough I’d find something in church I could believe in.
With a few exceptions, their presence can benefit everyone. When beavers construct dams on streams, the water spreads out and creates a new wetland habitat for many creatures. Biologists are learning how to incorporate beavers’ abilities into important environmental stewardship projects, such as California’s recent experiments to alleviate drought conditions. That’s a great way for us to obey God’s command, originally given to Adam, to be good stewards of the earth.
I refuse to mock that sentence. It’s just good logic. Take care of the bit of rock you live on or you might not live any longer. And if there’s an engineer that helps take care of it, take care of that engineer.
Now here’s a special treat I saw on facebook yesterday from Jan Pesaturo. Her famous camera traps were all the rage in news headlines yesterday.
Video: Black bear cub uses beaver lodge as ‘diving platform’ in Massachusetts
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