T h e B e a v e r M a n T h i s w a nd e r i n g m a n o f t h e No r t h O r e go n Co a s t h a s m ad e i t h i s p e r so n a l m i s s io n to ad vo c a t e fo r t h e p ro t e c t io n o f b e a v e r s H e pu l l ed h i s p i ckup t ru ck n ex t to m in e in th e g r av e l ed lo t o f a S e a s id e p a rk ov e r - look ing an e s tu a ry . Th e t ru ck w a s r ed and g r e en , d en t ed and an - c i en t : a Fo rd f rom th e Fo rd Adm in i s t r a t ion . Th e n e a t ly p a in t ed wh i t e l e t t e r ing on th e t ru ck r e ad : SAVE THE BEAVERS . YOU NEED THEM . THEY NEED YOU . I in s t an t ly r e cogn i z ed th i s w a sn ’ t abou t b ig t im e co l l eg e foo tb a l l , and fo r th a t I w a s th ank fu l . I w a s a l so th ank fu l b e c au s e I l iv e fo r th e s e r andom en coun t e r s w i th p eop l e . Y ou know w an t I wh a t my ep i t aph to r e ad ? “H e wou ld h av e r a th e r b e en d e ad th an in - cu r iou s . ” A conv e r s a t ion w i th th i s m an w a s im - p e r a t iv e . How cou ld i t no t b e ? I w ro t e som e th ing c a l l ed th e B e av e r S t a t e T r i logy and th e n ew logo fo r my pub l i sh ing com - p any i s a bu ck too th ed b e av e r ho ld ing a m i c rophon e l ik e som e fu r ry b e a tn ik po e t . I lov e in fo rm ing p eop l e th a t O r egon h a s th e Jame s r i f fed w i th the mo s t in te re s t - ing and unconven t iona l g ramma r , and I though t i t the mo s t beau t i fu l s t ream -o f - con sc iou s speech i fy ing I ’d hea rd in yea r s . Who ca re s i f i t wa s a lmo s t impo s s ib le to quo te h im p rope r ly? Beave r s don ’ t ca re abou t conven t iona l g ramma r o r p rope r quo t ing ! They ju s t wan t to be le f t a lone , ea t wood , bu i ld dam s , c rea te ma r she s and sa lmon rea r ing hab i ta t , and p lay the i r an - ted i luv ian ro le in the eco logy o f hea l thy wa te r shed s . Jame s unde r s tood th i s pe r - fec t ly and wan ted to educa te o the r s abou t the bene f i t s o f th i s ma l igned an ima l tha t wa s once nea r ly hun ted to ex t inc t ion be - cau se o f a fa sh ion t rend . Th i s c ru s ad e b eg an a y e a r ago a f t e r S t o r y a n d p h o t o b y M A T T L O V E ang e l s to ld h im to t ak e c a r e o f an im a l s . “ I ’v e known fo r y e a r s abou t b e av e r s , ” s a id J am e s , “ and i t w a s t im e to s t a r t do ing som e th ing fo r th em . I h ad to . ” Jame s scou t s the lo - ca l c reek s , we t land s and r ive r s fo r s ign s o f beave r ac t iv i ty and a l so imag - ine s the i r re tu rn to p lace s whe re they a re needed to re s to re damaged wa te r - shed s . He ’ s documen t ing beave r s and beave r dam s in some way tha t doe sn ’ t invo lve conven t iona l sc i - en t i f ic documen ta t ion . He ’ s seek ing , f ind - ing , ob se rv ing , and rhap sod iz ing . Jame s i s a “na tu ra l i s t” o f the ve ry o ld schoo l . A t one po in t in ou r conve r sa t ion , Jame s b roke ou t a l i t t le book w i th a co rk - l ike cove r . “ I t ’ s my Beave r Book ,” he sa id , hand ing i t to me . He to ld me he ’ s co l lec t - ing name s , te lephone numbe r s and ema i l add re s se s o f peop le who w i l l go to W a sh - a go ld en b e av e r i s on th a t o th e r s id e . I on c e w a t ch ed a b e av e r bu i ld a d am in a r emo t e c r e ek w ay up in a co a s t a l w a t e r sh ed . I t w a s p rob ab ly th e b e s t s i l en t hou r I ’v e ev e r sp en t in th e wood s . I th ink I m ay h av e d e r iv ed my en t i r e wo rk e th i c fo r c r e a t ing a w r i t ing l i f e f rom th a t t r an s c end en t exp e r i en c e . I a sk ed i f I cou ld t ak e a pho tog r aph o f h im s t and ing by th e t ru ck . “Su r e you c an b ro th e r ! ” h e s a id . “ I t ’ s a l l fo r th e b e av e r s and g e t t ing th e wo rd ou t ! ” Th e wo rd ? W e s t a r t ed t a lk ing . F iv e m inu t e s in to ou r conv e r s a t ion , I kn ew I h ad m e t th e wo r ld ’ s mo s t p a s s ion a t e sp i r i tu a l advo c a t e fo r b e a - v e r s and w a lk ed in to on e o f th e b e s t O r egon s to r i e s o f my l i f e . H i s n am e w a s J am e s Mu rphy and h e own ed a romp ing t an l ab n am ed M a r l ey . H e h ad a hou s e in ou t e r sou th e a s t Po r t l and bu t h a t ed Po r t l and now and r a r e ly w en t b a ck . H e w a s a w and e r ing m an o f th e No r th O r e - gon Co a s t now , ev ang e l i z ing fo r th e p ro t e c - J am e s M u r p h y i s a p a s s i o n a t e a d v o c a t e f o r t h e p r o t e c t i o n o f b e a v e r s . t ion o f b e av e r s . 4 | Augu s t 1 3 , 2 0 1 5 | co a s tw e e k end . com C o a s t a l L i f e ing ton D .C . and lobby fo r the p ro tec t ion o f beave r s . I happ i ly s igned i t and p rov id - ed my con tac t in fo rma - t ion . I wa s su rp r i sed by how many name s we re in the re . He ’ s been , we l l , bu sy a s a beave r , and peo - p le a re re spond ing . J am e s exp lod ed in to a sm i l e wh en I a sk ed i f i t wou ld b e ok ay to w r i t e up h i s s to ry and h e lp sp r e ad th e wo rd . Th e W o rd . “Y e s b ro th e r ! ” h e s a id . “Y e s . Do wh a t ev e r you c an ! ” “ I ’m c a l l ing you th e B e av e r M an , ” I s a id . “Y e s I am ! ” ‘ I ’ v e k n ow n f o r y e a r s a b o u t b e a v e r s , a n d i t w a s t im e t o s t a r t d o i n g s om e t h i n g f o r t h em . I h a d t o . ’ Ma t t Lo v e l iv e s in A s to r ia and i s th e au tho r / ed i to r o f 1 4 book s abou t O r egon , in c lud ing “A N i c e P i e c e o f A s to r ia : A Na r ra t iv e Gu id e . ” Th e y a r e ava i lab l e a t coa s ta l book s to r e s and th rough www .n e s tu c ca sp i tp r e s s . com