eco-engineers

During an intense heat wave, humans have a number of tools to stay cool, such as air conditioning, swimming pools, and ice cream. Wild animals, meanwhile, have beavers. Yes, beavers. These web-footed, fat-tailed amphibious rodents help countless other critters survive a heat wave. They not only drench certain landscapes in cold water but also help cool the air. They even make forests and grasslands less likely to burn. So beavers are pretty darn great. By simply living their best lives — by damming up streams with their cute little hands and powerful buck teeth — they’re helping out so many critters around them. We should all be more like beavers, really.