Everyone interested in participating is encouraged to join this inclusive conversation surrounding Ben Goldfarb's book about why beavers matter. Please sign up at the registration button above so we can plan our moderated discussion (and send you reminders).

Winner of the 2019 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award, in Eager, environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb reveals that our modern idea of what a healthy landscape looks like and how it functions is wrong, distorted by the fur trade that once trapped out millions of beavers from North America’s lakes and rivers. The consequences of losing beavers were profound: streams eroded, wetlands dried up, and species from salmon to swans lost vital habitat. Today, a growing coalition of “Beaver Believers”—including scientists, ranchers, and passionate citizens—recognizes that ecosystems with beavers are far healthier, for humans and non-humans alike, than those without them. From the Nevada deserts to the Scottish highlands, Believers are now hard at work restoring these industrious rodents to their former haunts. Eager is a powerful story about one of the world’s most influential species, how North America was colonized, how our landscapes have changed over the centuries, and how beavers can help us fight drought, flooding, wildfire, extinction, and the ravages of climate change. Ultimately, it’s about how we can learn to coexist, harmoniously and even beneficially, with our fellow travelers on this planet.

Get your copy of Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter

The Library has ample copies of Eager circulating locally in our collection (including digital, audio and print copies). Books are available so everyone is able to check out a copy, read it and participate in the community conversations.

Borrow Eager as a book, audio book or ebook from Bud Werner Memorial Library.

Buy a copy of Eager from Steamboat Springs' independent bookstore, Off the Beaten Path.