Bringing Back the Beaver: The Story of One Man's Quest to Rewild Britain's Waterways

In this often hilarious account, author Derek Gow tells the story of his decades long quest to return beavers to Britain's waterways, often in the face of opposition from government bureaucracy and land-owning elites. Through a scientific and historical analysis of the role beavers play in maintaining and even constructing ecosystems, Gow demonstrates just how vital beavers are to the overall ecological health of an area, and to the sustainability of human activities such as farming and fishing. He also points to the ways in which humans across Europe and in the Americas have mistreated and misunderstood beavers, failing to recognize the valuable role they play for waterways. A must read for any ecologist or conservationist, or anyone interested in learning more about these furry little dam-builders and all the ways their presence or absence impacts our lives.