The Beaver Manifesto

by Glynnis A. Hood

Beavers are the great comeback story—a keystone species that survived ice ages, major droughts, the fur trade, urbanization, and near extinction. Their ability to create and maintain aquatic habitats has endeared them to conservationists, but puts the beavers at odds with urban and industrial expansion. These conflicts reflect a dichotomy within our national identity. We place environment and our concept of wilderness as a key touchstone for promotion and celebration, while devoting significant financial and personal resources to combating "the beaver problem."

We need to rethink our approach to environmental conflict in general, and our approach to species-specific conflicts in particular. Our history often celebrates our integration of environment into our identity, but our actions often reveal an exploitation of environment and celebration of its subjugation. Why the conflict with the beaver? It is one of the few species that refuses to play by our rules and continues to modify environments to meet its own needs and the betterment of so many other species, while at the same time showing humans that complete dominion over nature is not necessarily achievable.

Genres: Nonfiction

144 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2011

About the author

Glynnis Hood has worked in various protected areas throughout western Canada and into the Subarctic region and boreal plains. She served 19 years with Parks Canada initially as a national park interpreter and then as a park warden, with postings at Banff, Jasper, Waterton Lakes, Wood Buffalo, and Elk Island National Parks. Glynnis completed a MSc on human impacts on grizzly bear habitat availability, a PhD on beaver ecology and management, and is a professor emerita at the University of Alberta's Augustana Campus and an adjunct professor at the University of Saskatchewan. She lives in the Beaver Hills region of east-central Alberta, with three beaver lodges as her closest neighbours.

[Adapted from Rocky Mountain Books author page: https://rmbooks.com/book-author/glynn...]

Reviews

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

So beavers are my absolute favourite animal in the entire world, no question, and have been for my entire life. So when I saw this book at Roots I knew I HAD to have it. After finishing the book (which was incredible and super well written) I emailed her and and she replied! She's an amazing person, really nice!

[David Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let's start with the NEGATIVES first.

This book is a great example of just how sick Canada has become over the last decade.

Just look at this quote from the book:
"... a much-needed integration of Indigenous expertise for the co-production of knowledge."

This is the author updating their original book. If we finally see "integration of Indigenous expertise", where is it in the book? Perhaps the author can highlight a specific section where "Indigenous expertise" was disclosed?

Given this is an update from an earlier release, why did the author not include this "special knowledge" in their first revision?

As a fellow Canadian the answer is clear as day. They now work for a BC Based university and so "Indigenous knowledge" is the single most important thing these days.

You know in Canada we have to apply "indigenous ways of knowing" on everything.

Our "Canadian nuclear safety commission" has to work with "indigenous ways of knowing" when it comes to safety storing nuclear waste??

"Indigenous Knowledge means knowledge that is unique to Indigenous Peoples"

What "unique knowledge" do only the FN possess when it comes to storing nuclear waste? why cant they share this with others?

You see this same template in this book, paying homage to a group of people for their "unique" knowledge without stating what that knowledge actually is?

"The fact that beavers still exist in North America, and Europe for that matter, is nothing short of a miracle. Their tenacious nature and ability to survive major geologic and climatic shifts are amazing in their own right, but their ability to survive a level of overexploitation that would have crippled many other species is a testament to their ecological adaptability."

The author mentions numerous times how the beavers were hunted to near-extension in the book but oddly enough never once says WHO was doing the hunting besides implying it was the "colonizers" and blaming "demand".

Again, as a Canadian it is clear as to why. Whenever there is a crime in Canada by a "protected class" we all know WHO did it but the media will attempt to mask this.

She does the same thing everyone in Canada does.. Blame "demand" for why the beavers were over-hunted while giving the hunters a free pass?

The "FN" were the ones hunting them to near extinction but the author cant say this.

"Our past resembles a horde of Pac-Man-like colonists who moved across the landscape eating everything in their path. We are marginally more conscientious today, but global warming and overexploitation of water resources pose new challenges for the commons. Whether we rise to these challenges, and turn tragedy into triumph, remains to be seen."

It is astonishing that the author is able to admonish on group, but not another? Again, this is classic Canada. If you are "European" it is open season, but if you are a protected class we cant even say they commit crimes.

Were the "Colonists" the ones hunting beavers to extinction? what were the trading posts for if the "colonists" were hunting beavers? Perhaps the "colonists" were trading beaver skins with the FN??

The author does acknowledge it was "HBC" that instituted conservation policies, not the FN which is odd.

Naturally, being a Canadian book it has to have a "land acknowledgment" in the back of the book as well, virtue signalling at its best.

I'm curious, does the author own a home in BC? will they be turning it over to the "rightful owner" or are they like everyone else, pay lip service to the FN and nothing more?


The BETTER parts.

It is a short but interesting read about the critical role "tree-eating rodents" serve. The author talks about a study they did overlapping arial photos from the past with water levels, etc.

Unfortunately they spend FAR too much time with tangents that should have been spent on beavers, and there is the above "FN" issues.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not enough beavers.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything you could every want to know about Canadian beavers.