Our modern idea of what a healthy landscape looks like and how it functions is distorted by the fur trade that once trapped out millions of beavers from North America's lakes and rivers. Goldfarb shares the powerful story about one of the world's most influential species. He explains 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. -- adapted from jacket

Howes M802 "Probably the first study of the behavior of a single animal in the mordern sense and certainly the first American work in comparative psychology."--Gach. "..long regarded as a classic on the subject." DAB, Vol. XIII, 185.

"Simple text and full-color photography introduce beginning readers to American beavers. Developed by literacy experts for students in kindergarten through third grade"--

Introduces readers to the life, diet, habitat, behavior, and physical description of American beavers. Colorful spreads, fun facts, diagrams, a range map, and a special reading feature make this an exciting read for animal lovers and report writers alike.

Discusses the history of beaver trapping and the fur trade, the near extinction of the species, the beaver's habits and habitat, and conservation efforts leading to the beaver's comeback.

Imagine being able to swim without goggles because you have clear eyelids. For American Beavers, with water-resistant hair, fins for feet, and rudder tails, they have all the equipment needed to be pros in the water. Paddle along with these graceful swimmers in this interesting read for young students.

“Unexpectedly delightful reading—there is much to learn from the buck-toothed rodents of yore” (National Post). Beavers, those icons of industriousness, have been gnawing down trees, building dams, shaping the land, and creating critical habitat in North America for at least a million years. Once one of the continent’s most ubiquitous mammals, they ranged from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the Rio Grande to the edge of the northern tundra. Wherever there was wood and water, there were beavers—sixty million, or more—and wherever there were beavers, there were intricate natural communities that depended on their activities. Then the European fur traders arrived. Once They Were Hats examines humanity’s fifteen-thousand–year relationship with Castor canadensis, and the beaver’s even older relationship with North American landscapes and ecosystems. From the waterlogged environs of the Beaver Capital of Canada to the wilderness cabin that controversial conservationist Grey Owl shared with pet beavers; from a bustling workshop where craftsmen make beaver-felt cowboy hats using century-old tools to a tidal marsh where an almost-lost link between beavers and salmon was recently found, it’s a journey of discovery to find out what happened after we nearly wiped this essential animal off the map, and how we can learn to live with beavers now that they’re returning. “Fascinating and smartly written.” —The Globe and Mail (Toronto)

Beavers had a profound effect on American history. Their useful fur fueled trade, influenced fashion, and even ignited violent conflicts. Take a closer look at these fascinating details as well as the near extinction and resurgence of one of the most historically influential animals—the beaver.

Rare landmark study (1868) offers unique historical perspective on fascinating rodent: anatomy and characteristics, habitat, dams, ledges and burrows, food, trapping methods, animal psychology, much more.