Beaverland: How One Weird Rodent Made America
Beginning with the early trans-Atlantic trade in North America, Leila Philip traces the beaver’s profound influence on our nation’s early economy and feverish western expansion, which gave the country its first corporations and multi-millionaires. In her pursuit of this compellingly wonderful rodent, she introduces us to people whose lives are devoted to the beaver, including a Harvard scientist from the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana, who uses drones to create 3-dimensional images of beaver dams; and an environmental restoration consultant in the Chesapeake nicknamed the “beaver whisperer.”
What emerges is a poignant personal narrative, a startling portrait of the secretive world of the contemporary fur trade, and an engrossing ecological and historical investigation of these heroic animals who, once trapped to the point of extinction, have returned to the landscape as one of the greatest conservation stories of the twentieth century. Beautifully written and impeccably researched, BEAVERLAND reveals the profound ways in which one odd animal and the trade surrounding it has shaped history, culture, and our environment.
You can find the book here, or borrow from your local library.
Description:
Join us as we slow down to read a book each month. The Nature Institute will host a book club each month featuring authors and titles that give us a deeper understanding of the world around us. We will meet to discuss the chosen book. We will gather together at the Mississippi Sanctuary Office where we can enjoy a view of the Mississippi River and maybe catch a glimpse of an eagle or two.
Program Fees:
Free, donations are appreciated
Registration Required:
No, but preferred (registering gives us the ability to email in case of weather cancellation)
Things to bring:
Book of the Month
Non-alcoholic Beverage of Choice
Snacks to Share, optional
