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
Dramatic encounters with wildlife are, unfortunately, muted footnotes in this memoir.
Few people have spent more hours observing wild wolves than the author of this unique nature memoir. Narrator Ryan Shaefer’s steady performance matches the author’s impactful yet emotionally subtle descriptions of wild spaces and the animals that inhabit them. McIntyre explains his decades-long evolution as a storyteller while teaching the public as a park ranger, naturalist, wolf researcher, and author. The audiobook is vivid and exciting when he talks about individual bears and wolves. However, he struggles to craft a compelling narrative out of his own life story. McIntyre ignores his own salient storytelling advice, describing his life chronologically as a list of facts, accomplishments, and job placements.
Dramatic encounters with wildlife are, unfortunately, muted footnotes in this memoir.Pub Date: June 13, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798228803619
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: May 26, 2026
Moore’s fine work provides hope for rewilding while describing its challenges.
Here are the unlikely stories of how people have worked to return elk to Kentucky, bison to Illinois, and red wolves to coastal North Carolina. Charlie Thurston narrates with a satisfying tone and an appropriate tempo. A fine environmental journalist, Moore captures the sublime—the return of the grand sandhill cranes—and the profane—locals who want to rid their land of red wolves and adopt the slogan, “Shoot, shovel, and shut up.” Moore’s meticulous research takes listeners from pre-colonial times to the present-day environmentalists, wildlife biologists, and organizations committed to the reintroduction of these iconic species. The Nature Conservancy garners high praise, as do those who believe in restoring grasslands, saving wetlands, and recapturing abandoned mines.
Moore’s fine work provides hope for rewilding while describing its challenges.Pub Date: June 2, 2026
Duration: 16 hrs, 5 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063001251
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: July 7, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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