In honor of the holiday I allowed myself to finish In Beaver World yesterday and I’m still hearing fireworks. I think the very best celebration I can think of for the holiday is to pass it forward. Imagine an inspiring Sousa march in the background, or better yet – I’ll give you one.
How’s that for a dynamite opening paragraph? He describes how deep pools made by the beavers allow trout to survive the frozen winter, how factories depend on the running water to operate and how beavers manage and create rich soil over the years that go on to feed the farms of america.
The truly amazing thing is that this was written almost 100 years ago, and I spent the last four years learning about it from people who were doing the research to prove that its really true. Words like biodiversity and hyporheic exchange hadn’t been invented yet, but Enos Mills could see it right before his eyes.
If you have any time left over after fireworks, watermelon and the balloon toss, go give yourself a real American treat and read the whole chapter. God Bless Castor Americanus!
