“THE ORIGINAL CONSERVATIONISTS”

I think it was February when I wrote researchers across the hemisphere asking them to read the last chapter of Enos Mills seminal book into my recording account. I’m sure it was May before I finished nagging everyone and they actually did it. Or maybe it was July.

In beaver World was published in 1913 and remains the most accurate account of observing beavers ever written. Enos really understand the impact beavers have on the ecology around them. He knew why they mattered. Remember that Enos Mills was a great admirer of John Muir and actually came to Martinez to meet him in 1908. Martinez is brimming with beaver stories.

I was so proud of myself for finishing the Enos Mills movie yesterday. I wanted to release it before my birthday. I learned the new imovie to do it which is important because I made all my other movies on the now defunct gold standard imovie on an archane laptop that has been steadily inching towards the end of its life. I am never sure when the day will come that I can never make another presentation. So I figured I’d use the Covid lockdown to hold a gun to my head and force myself to learn the new one which is supposedly more like the old one they killed.

The new one isn’t bad. And I have the best readers any director could ask for. When you listen think about how remarkable it is that this naturalist watching beavers could hit upon every major ‘discovery’ about beavers that has been made in the last 30 years.

This is my favorite chapter of the very best beaver book ever written. I tried to assign every reader the section that related most directly to their work or field of research. I really love how everyone’s voice helps tell the story. Thank you to all who helped and please feel free to share. We need more people to read and appreciate this remarkable book.

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