Do you remember those old cartoons where they track the history of some explorer moving across the country with a little dotted line map that shows you where he went next? I’m thinking maybe we need one of those for Ben and the sprinkling of his beaver-message across the states. He is like Johnny appleseed- but with beavers! Yesterday he was in Portland, Oregon and stopped by KATU for a fun interview. I cannot embed it so you’ll have to click on the link to watch.
It’s a powerful story about one of the world’s most influential species. Ben Goldfarb, author of the new book Eager, joined us to talk about beavers– how North America was colonized, how our landscapes have changed over the centuries, and how beavers can help us fight drought, flooding, wildfire, extinction, and the ravages of climate change. Ultimately, it’s about how we can learn to coexist, harmoniously and even beneficially, with our fellow travelers on this planet.
Hurray for beaver-benefit-Ben on the road! It is quite a thing to watch the ripples this book is making. I’m starting to feel a little like a sportscaster.
Of course Ben Goldfarb wasn’t the only celebrity at our beaver festival. We also had the world famous Jim and Judy Atkinson who flew all the way for Port Moody, British Columbia just to attend. They spent the day doing research with NOAA, Audubon and the Forest Service so they could continue the good fight when they got home. We were too busy to give them the dinner or glass of wine they deserved before the festival, but they stopped by next day and we chatted for an hour or so on the porch.
These are the faces of saving beavers in Canada,
