What makes an animal a hero? Maybe it’s the services it naturally supplies to its ecosystem — services that may help plants, waterways, other animals, and yes, humans. Some researchers are even coming up with dollar amounts that people would have to pay for the services beavers provide. 

 

 

Since beavers are helping make their environments more fire-resistant, maybe Smokey the Bear should transform into Smokey the Beaver? Bears interact with their environments in different ways. 

 

 

The small are indeed mighty. Witness the impact of wombats on the other animals in Australian habitats stricken by wildfires. 

 

 

–Karen Romano Young is a writer, artist, deep-sea diver, and polar explorer. Follow her on Twitter & Instagram.