Elegy for a River cover art

Elegy for a River

Whiskers, Claws and Conservation’s Last, Wild Hope

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Elegy for a River

By: Tom Moorhouse
Narrated by: Tom Moorhouse
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Water voles are small, brownish, bewhiskered and charming. Made famous by 'Ratty' in The Wind in the Willows, once they were a ubiquitous part of our waterways. They were a totem of our rivers. Now, however, they are nearly gone. This is their story, and the story of a conservationist with a wild hope: that he could bring them back.

Tom Moorhouse spent 11 years beside rivers, fens, canals, lakes and streams, researching British wildlife. Quite a lot of it tried to bite him. He studied four main species - two native and endangered, two invasive and endangering - beginning with water voles. He wanted to solve their conservation problems. He wanted to put things right.

This book is about whether it worked, and what he learnt - and about what those lessons mean, not just for water voles but for all the world's wildlife. It is a book for anyone who has watched ripples spread on lazy waters, and wondered what moves beneath. Or who has waited in quiet hope for a rustle in the reeds, the munch of a stem, or the patter of unseen paws.

©2021 Tom Moorhouse (P)2021 Penguin Audio Animals Biological Sciences Environment Outdoors & Nature Science Conservation

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All stars
Most relevant
Tom Moorhouse's reading of his own book is by turns moving, disturbing, funny, insightful and inspiring. He paints a vivid picture of the life of a chubby semi-aquatic rodent (and of the field worker studying it) and out of the trials and tribulations finds a seed of hope not only for the vole but for us as well. The future is in our hands. Everyone should read this book (or have it read to them)

Inspiring!

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The author rescues what could have been a pretty dour book by his enthusiasm and engaging style. His study of the Water Vole and White-clawed Crayfish are enlightening and absorbing. If I am brutally honest the latter parts of the book could be from any of the many books on Rewilding that are available. The author does give a detailed economic argument for rewilding but it is doubtful that anyone in government has the sense to acknowledge that. I for one thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. (Audiobook)

Fascinating

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