Waters of Life
Fighting for Scotland's Beavers
Published on 1. May 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
272 pages
978-1-78027-867-4 (ISBN)
Description
'From the moment that these waters were given back their beavers, I knew that I would never wish to return to the time when they were without them . . .'
In November 2021, in a major moment in Scotland's history, a family of beavers was spared a death sentence and relocated to a Perthshire farm. Their arrival at Argaty, Tom Bowser's home, paved the way for a new era in human-beaver relations.
In this deeply personal account, Tom 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 home. He also explores the wider themes of rewilding and nature conservation in Scotland, meeting some of the leading lights of this exciting movement, highlighting the work they do, the challenges they face and showing why ecological restoration is so important for the future of our planet.
In November 2021, in a major moment in Scotland's history, a family of beavers was spared a death sentence and relocated to a Perthshire farm. Their arrival at Argaty, Tom Bowser's home, paved the way for a new era in human-beaver relations.
In this deeply personal account, Tom 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 home. He also explores the wider themes of rewilding and nature conservation in Scotland, meeting some of the leading lights of this exciting movement, highlighting the work they do, the challenges they face and showing why ecological restoration is so important for the future of our planet.
Reviews / Votes
'a beautifully written and deeply personal book...Waters of Life offers a vital insight into the frustrations, politics and hopes behind Scotland's beaver reintroduction efforts' * Scotland: The Big Picture * 'Beautifully written by Tom Bowser. It's honest, fair and authentic. If you care about Scotland's nature, it will bring tears to your eyes' -- Peter Cairns, Head of Rewilding at SCOTLAND: The Big Picture 'a captivating tale of successful nature conservation in Scotland' * Sunday Post * 'a valuable and informative case study' -- Mark Avery 'Waters of Life deserves to by read by all who have a passion and commitment to nature's survival. Without individuals of Tom's sort striving at great personal cost worldwide much of the intricate wonder that is other life is doomed to fade, falter and fail' -- Derek Gow, author of Bringing Back the Beaver: The Story of One Man's Quest to Rewild Britain's Waterways 'A beautifully written account of his efforts (and others) in aiding the re-establishment of beavers in Scotland, showing the courage of conservationists in over-coming bureaucracy and vested interests -- Keith Broomfield 'A thought provoking and inspiring account of one man's efforts to further the interests of beavers in Scotland. This book makes a significant contribution to an important discussion about what natural Scotland should be' -- Ken Lussey * Undiscovered Scotland * 'I love, love this book' -- Bob Elliot Director at Wild Justice '[I] recommend this book to anyone interested in beavers and rewilding' -- Sandra King, CEO of Beaver Trust 'a story of hope triumphing over despair and bureaucracy' -- Nan Spowart * The National * 'The deeply personal book offers a passionate account ... In a time of climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and political paralysis, the beavers of Argaty offer proof that healing the land is still possible - if we make room for the right kind of wild * Dundee Courier * 'this book is a must for anyone interested in wildlife or rewilding of the countryside' -- Alan Stewart * Wildlife Detective * 'An unvarnished and persuasive journal of the impact beavers have had on Bowser's land and on him' -- Rosemary Goring * The Herald * 'an emotive and raw account of the author's experience of being the first landowner in Scotland to legally relocate beavers' -- Katharine Hay * The Scotsman * 'a story of immense personal courage' -- Keith Broomfield * Press & Journal * 'A highly readable account not only about the life-generating powers of beavers, but also the hard graft of campaigning often required by passionate individuals and fleet-footed small NGOs to make positive change happen' -- Chantal Lyons, author of Groundbreakers: The Return of Britain's Wild Boar 'This is a great read, taking in nature as a whole' -- John Miles * Birdwatching Magazine, Book of the Month *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Edinburgh
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Birlinn General
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Illustrations
8pp colour plates
Dimensions
Height: 213 mm
Width: 135 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
259 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78027-867-4 (9781780278674)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
05/2025
Birlinn Ltd
€11.99
Available for download
Person
Tom Bowser grew up on his parents' Perthshire farm. After university he worked as a teacher and then as a journalist before returning to Argaty in 2009. In 2017 he took over the running of the conservation project Argaty Red Kites, and in 2018 launched the Argaty Red Squirrels project.