"Yes, I would. It will help take my mind off
those wolves wandering about out there in the
dark," replied Stumpy.
"Well alright then. Back before the humans
came there were many, many beavers. We were
a proud bunch and we had an important role in
our ecosystem. We were engineers by trade—
wetlands engineers to be exact—and we shaped
the course of streams and rivers, of ponds and
lakes; and many animals relied on our dam
building skills to provide them with the
environment they needed to survive. Without us
the soil would erode away because the water
would come down too fast. And without us the
ponds and lakes that we see today wouldn't be
here, because there would be nothing to slow
the waters to a standstill. The fish would have
no home. The elk, deer, and—yes—wolves,
wouldn't have places to find a drink of water.
We are an important part of this ecosystem, yes
indeed. I would go as far to say that we’re the
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