What would nature do? We often don't know until a critical piece of nature no longer functions, and we have to replace it. If we want that replacement to last, it must align with the way nature already works. It is not a machine with parts, but an ecosystem of emergence. What does that mean to embody the critical connection in nature? What does it mean to embody a beaver!? Stream restoration starts with pushing the understanding of how streams work and how much they rely on beavers. This episode of The Dirt and Dust, Becoming Beavers explores the idea of imitating nature to help restore a stream system all in the hopes that beavers come back and do the work themselves.

Like beavers? Read Eager: The Surprising , Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter by Ben Goldfarb.

A special thanks to Reid Whittlesey, Anders Hastings, Whitesun Yazzie, and Peter Watson from Rio Grande Return. Learn more at https://riograndereturn.org/.

The Dirt and Dust is brought to you by the 2-3-2, Mountain Studies Institute, the Forest Stewards Guild, the USDA Forest Service and Zebulon Krol.

Want to hear more? Listen to our audio story map to hear the history of the 2-3-2 at 232partnership.org.