Narrator Will Damron channels Ben Goldfarb's enthusiasm for beavers as saviors of the environment. The author tramps around the country interviewing all sorts of "beaver believers"--scientists, biologists, ranchers, engineers, and crafty sorts selling beaver tchotchkes--who are committed to the reintroduction of beavers to try to offset the extensive damage to wetlands, rivers, birds, and fish. Fur trappers, urban planners, and farmers killing beavers for money and progress have levied tremendous damage to the ecosystem. Damron's narration is warm, approachable, and energetic as Goldfarb moves from one fascinating fact to another with affection and wry humor. The next time you see a chewed stump, a warm and optimistic feeling will result. (Just don't let children name a beaver, as you will always end up with a Justin Beaver.)
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2018
Duration: 11 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
While Tapper is a hortatory narrator of his own work, his audiobook deserves to be heard.
Tapper’s hopeful tone separates this audiobook from gloomier environmental writing. According to Tapper, forests can be managed, species can be saved, and we can embrace the wonders that remain. While recognizing the loss of species and habitats and threats to the environment due to climate change and other factors, he points out how resilient trees and animals are. And he knows what he’s talking about. A longtime professional forester, Tapper is also a dedicated birder who restored 175 desolate acres in Vermont. He dubbed it Bear Island, and it’s now a thriving forest with an emerging orchard.
While Tapper is a hortatory narrator of his own work, his audiobook deserves to be heard.Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 22 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668660348
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Oct. 5, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2026
Like the experience of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, Lee’s sensitive performance is tranquil and inspiring.
Ela Lee’s smooth narration and soothing tones are perfectly suited to this collection of contemplative essays. Kōda explains that her close relationship with trees was sparked by her father. Trees were his passion, and he gave each of his children a tree to nurture. As Kōda visits forests around Japan, various trees spark memories. Even when these memories are painful, a sense of healing and growth pervades. Lee’s deliberate pace allows room for quiet reflection throughout this lyrical journey into the significance trees hold for Kōda and the ways that they mirror her world and the rhythms of human life.
Like the experience of shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, Lee’s sensitive performance is tranquil and inspiring.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2026
Duration: 4 hrs, 19 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063443433
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Sept. 8, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: tomorrow
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