CWU Professor Sun's Book Nominated For Award

March 3, 2004

Contact: Molly Fortin (509-963-1493/fax 509-963-2301/e-mail: fortinm@cwu.edu)

ELLENSBURG, Wash.-- What's the most important animal in our history? If you guessed the beaver, then you'd be right, according to Dr. Lixing Sun, Central Washington University biology professor.

"The beaver played a central role in shaping American history," Sun said. The initial incentive for Europeans to come to North America in the 15th and 16th centuries was to trap and sell beaver pelts. Numerous wars and skirmishes between the English and the French were fought over the right to trap beavers. The pilgrims were able to establish themselves as farmers using the profits they made from beavers.

"When Lewis and Clark were sent by President Thomas Jefferson to explore the West, one of the major motives was to look for opportunities to trap beavers," Sun said.

Sun co-authored "The Beaver: Natural History of a Wetlands Engineer" with Dietland MMüller-Schwarze to explore the impact the beaver has on our natural surroundings and history.

"A few years ago in Washington D.C., several precious Japanese cherry trees were cut down overnight. The police, assuming it was an act of vandalism, started to investigate the case and soon realized that the 'vandal' was nobody but a local beaver," Sun said.

Conversely, the work of beavers has led to a tremendous amount of habitat restoration in the Ellensburg area, according to Sun.

"Umtanum Creek, just south of Ellensburg, was dry and dusty after local farms were deserted in the 1950s," Sun said. "Beaver colonies moved in and built a large dam that caused the water level to rise, plants and trees to grow and salmon to spawn. It's amazing how quickly the landscape can change due to beaver activity, even in our area."

Sun's book, listed on Amazon.com as one of the best-selling natural history books last year, has been nominated to receive the John Burroughs Medal. This prestigious award is given to the author of one distinguished natural history book each year.

"We have put forth so much effort to encourage not only the scientific community, but the general audience to take interest in this natural treasure," Sun said. "In many ways, the beaver is probably one of the most important animals in the world, the most important animal in our history."