Three against the wilderness.

I just finished reading this classic British Columbia wilderness tale today. "Three Against the Wilderness" was an excelent read. A story about Eric Collier and his family, who as pioneers in the late 1920's went deep into the mountanous terrain of B.C. to scrape out a living for themselves. Not just a story of adventure and survival, it is also a story of conservation. Colliers realization that the lack of beavers in the area contributed to the lack of habitat for other wildlife was one of great insight. Whiteman and Indian had long ago trapped out all the beavers before Eric's family entered the scene. With hardwork and vision Eric vowed to bring them back to the area. With his bare hands he rebuilt their dams so that water could once again replenesh the marshes and feed the potential animals. A conservation officer, hearing about the work Eric had done, brought two pair of beavers down from the North country so that with the help of Collier, beavers could once again protect the wetlands. 14 years later beaver populations in the area where high enough that Eric and his son could harvest a hundred beavers ever trapping season. Collier has an excellent story telling ability and is able to conjur the wildness of the mountains and hills for all to share. This story reminded a lot about Saskatchewans own famous conservationist, the famous Grey Owl. If you are interested in the outdoors and love to read then i highly recomend this book for you.

www.ericcollier.org.uk