Waters of Life

‘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 humanbeaver 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.

Author 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.