Want to beat the summer heat? Beavers may know more about staying cool than we do.
Their secret isn’t air conditioning. It’s planning.
A beaver lodge offers three surprisingly useful lessons for surviving a scorching summer, much less a scorching life.
Build in the right place, use what you have wisely, protect your family, and think beyond today.
So what can a beaver teach us about surviving the heat and building a happier life?
1. Plan with heat in mind
While jet-skiing recently on Lake Athens, I saw this beaver dream house.
Behind it sits a $3,000,000 house built by humans, while this beaver uses existing resources to build better, cheaper.
Unsurprisingly, this beaver is in a better location at the best price.
His land cousin, the badger, does the same thing in grasslands.
“Badgers are creatures of little power, yet they make their homes in the rocks.”
— Pr 30:26
Why do small creatures like these lead a stable life in a volatile world?
Because they…
- ignore limitations
- plan in advance
- don’t look back
There’s a risk, but tiny creatures like beavers ignore limitations and make good decisions.
2. Plan with family in mind
Beavers are committed to family. Everything they do revolves around it.
They live in monogamous pairs and often in family groups of up to 8.
Younger siblings stay with their parents for up to two years, helping with…
- babysitting
- food supplies
- dam or home building
Whatever decisions you make this summer, keep the family first.
3. Plan with your community in mind
If you’re hot and burned out this summer, be inspired by beavers.
They make extended plans, not short ones.
Long-term plans plant beauty in your future.
Beauty that withstands heat puts family first and lifts the community.
Beavers create and maintain beautiful habitats.
All kinds of aquatic and wildlife benefit because a beaver’s work is lifelong and purposeful.
How are you creating a little margin this hot summer to make room for your dreams?
Stories like this are part of the reflections I write about living fully, finding joy, and making life count, which you can explore on my About Stephen Blaising page.