Undiscovered Scotland

 

"Waters of Life: Fighting for Scotland’s Beavers" by Tom Bowser is a thought provoking and inspiring account of one man's efforts to further the interests of beavers in Scotland.

The tale told between the covers is nicely encapsulated by the publisher's blurb: "Once common across most of the country, beavers were hunted to extinction in the sixteenth century, but returned to Scottish waters in the early 2000s both through authorised and accidental releases. The deadwood wetlands they create benefit a huge numbers of species, but their activities can also cause havoc with land management, and for this reason their reintroduction is a controversial topic."

"In November 2021 a family of beavers was relocated to Argaty, Perthshire. Never before had beavers in conflict sites been relocated to new areas of Scotland instead of being culled. It paved the way for a new era in human/beaver relations. In this deeply personal account, Argaty’s Tom Bowser tells of his attempts to save these incredible animals, of the support and opposition received and of the unimaginable gains that beavers ultimately brought to his family farm. Tom also traces the history of these animals and tells the stories of the people who brought them back and fought for their right to remain. In doing so he also explores the wider themes of rewilding and nature conservation in Scotland, meeting some of the leading lights of this exciting and movement, highlighting the work that they do and showing why ecological restoration is so important for the future of our planet."

I suppose that in some ways I'm the ideal test case for the effectiveness of a book on this subject. I've been vaguely aware of the gradual, patchy and very controversial re-establishment of Beaver populations in parts of Scotland. I am in favour of turning back the tide on the erosion of biodiversity in this country, yet wary of taking steps that might have adverse consequences. I am in favour of rewilding, but not entirely sure I understand what it means or its full range of implications and their possible drawbacks.

I found Tom Bowser's approach to these issues, both in practical, real-world, terms and in the way he has written this book, to be compellingly persuasive. I found myself very impressed by the author's reasoned, rational and common sense approach to the many complex issues that have arisen as the beavers have arrived and become more established on his farm and elsewhere in Scotland. This book makes a significant contribution to an important discussion about what natural Scotland should be. It's certainly, in me, turned one agnostic into a true believer!