As one who lives in an area where the Nutria (Coypu) is the most commonly seen semi-aquatic mammal, the mere sighting of a Beaver is enough to bring on a feeling of accomplishment. It’s as if Mother Nature herself is smiling upon all of one’s natural history studies and granting a well-deserved reward.
Needless to say, I don’t get nearly as much experience observing beavers in the wild as I’d like to; which is why I was so happy to discover a new book about their natural history titled Once They Were Hats; In Search of the Mighty Beaver by Frances Backhouse. Covering everything from the evolution and biology of the Beaver to their influence on the shaping of Canadian society, this new book from ECW Press looks to be just the thing for ernest naturalists hoping to learn more about these fascinating creatures and perhaps earn themselves a benevolent wink from “Mom” and a glimpse of one in the wild.
