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Waters of Life Fighting for Scotland's Beavers

Biography / Memoir Coming Soon
By: Tom Bowser(Author)
282 pages, 16 plates with colour photos
Waters of Life
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  • Waters of Life ISBN: 9781780278674 Paperback May 2025 In stock
    £14.99
    #263971 | Stock: 3
  • Waters of Life ISBN: 9781780279763 Paperback 02 Apr 2026 Not yet published
    £12.99
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About this book Customer reviews Biography Related titles

About this book

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 number 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 movement, highlighting the work that they do and showing why ecological restoration is so important for the future of our planet.

Customer Reviews

Biography

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.

Biography / Memoir Coming Soon
By: Tom Bowser(Author)
282 pages, 16 plates with colour photos
Media reviews

"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

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