"In trying to understand the complexity of your species, I have found information that I would like to share with you."
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Conversation with a Beaver
and Other Journeys Into Nature by Judith K. Berg Ulyssian Publications,
an imprint of Pine Orchard
book review by Linda Murdock
Berg informs us about the interconnectivity of flora and fauna in various regions by focusing on the life of a beaver via an imagined conversation with one. Through her thirty-three years of research and observations, she draws the reader into that conversation and cleverly reveals much of what modern day observers have found out about this vital mammal. The conversation takes one through the life cycle of a beaver, including mating rituals, marking territory, raising and caring for their young and, of course, their engineering feats. She also notes the special physical traits that allow the beaver to fell trees, store food, and stay underwater for long periods of time. Almost brought to extinction, beavers are now often introduced to areas that have been damaged by overgrazing. They not only benefit wetlands, but they help create them.
Her approach is to paint a picture that appeals to our innermost child. It is an easy read that would entertain anyone's curiosity about what makes these dam-builders so vital to not only other animals, but to plants and humans as well. Her oneness with Mother Nature is appealing and invites all to listen and observe more closely. Can you identify a familiar bird from its song, hear the splash of a fish in a stream, or see the fog of breath over a beaver family's lodge on a cold winter morning? Berg invites you to try and appreciate everything that Mother Nature has to offer by quietly seeking it out for yourself, one magical discovery at a time.