Only by understanding the change that led to the degraded conditions of riparian areas are we able to understand what may need to be fixed or, as Aldo Leopold delicately states in Round River, "to keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution to intelligent tinkering."

Wallowa River - Northeast Oregon How do you beat the smoke when it has been lingering for nearly a month? Head to the water, or more specifically, build like a beaver. That is exactly what we did on a late July summer day on the Wallowa River. We had folks join us from all over the Blue Mountain Ecoregion, including Halfway, Baker City, and Walla Walla. The goal: build a post-less beaver dam that mimics the appearance and, more importantly, the function of a beaver dam. Post-

If you choose a line of work that involves working directly with beavers, be prepared to adapt and meet their persistent, unending work ethic.

Each year, I commit to working with high school interns with the Wallowa Resources HAWK program on different aspects of riparian restoration.