Apr 7: 🦫 Embracing Lessons from the Lodge
The dam awakening: How one woman's love sparked a movement.
Apr 7: Dorothy Richards’ Birthday Anniversary &
International Beaver Day
I'm writing this with a sixty-pound beaver
on my lap. —Dorothy Richards, BeaverSprite
Dorothy Richards, born 131 years ago today, lived a typical life for a woman in the early 1900s. She married her childhood sweetheart, Allison "Al" Richards, who worked as a forester until the Great Depression.
They moved to a cottage at the base of the Adirondacks, where they lived a quiet life.
But one day, a friend visited, forever changing Dorothy’s life. And it all started with Samson and Delilah.
Samson and Delilah
Al’s college friend was helping the state of New York revive the North American beaver population. When he arrived at the Richards’ home, he knew it was the perfect place to release beavers.
Dorothy was skeptical but soon found she couldn’t resist the furry creatures’ charm. She watched in awe as they worked tirelessly, their sharp teeth and muscular tails transforming the landscape.
Hours turned into days, days into years, as Dorothy sat by the pond, observing, learning, and forming a bond with her new friends, Samson and Delilah.
“For a solid hour, I have been content to sit without moving, with nothing to entertain me but an overwhelming desire to seek and find. I felt as though the hours intervening between then and my next visit would be wasted time.”
At first, her newfound fascination annoyed Al, who often mocked Dorothy for spending so much time with “rodents.” But as he saw the joy it brought her, he began to understand, helping her drag poplar tree branches to the pond, a beaver’s favorite.
With each passing day, Dorothy grew more attached to Samson and Delilah. She was determined to provide them with the best possible care so they could live and thrive.
The Birth of Beaversprite
Dorothy and Al started buying adjacent land and enlarging their property to create Beaversprite, a protected place for Samson and Delilah and their many young beavers, including Hunk, Chunk, Eager, Big, Toughy, Bounce, and Waddle.
As their land flourished with the presence of the beavers, they attracted more animals to the area. Deer, rabbits, birds, and even foxes appeared around the pond. It was a truly magical transformation (see below for a not-to-miss interactive activity).
But it wasn’t just about creating a home for these animals.
Dorothy also discovered an opportunity to educate others about conservation efforts and protecting our natural habitats. She invited schools and community groups to visit Beaversprite, giving guided tours and teaching about preserving our environment.
Her 1977 book, Beaversprite: My Years Building an Animal Sanctuary, gained recognition from many prominent scientists and conservationists, cementing her as the “Beaver Woman,” a respected figure in the world of beaver research.
A Tale of Resilience
Once abundant, human consumerism, greed, and the destruction of natural habitats devastated beaver populations across North America.
In the 1800s, the obtuse demand for beaver pelts led to overhunting and trapping, causing a significant decline in their numbers.
By the early 1900s, the United States had less than 100,000 beavers remaining.
However, thanks to dedicated conservation efforts, beavers have made an incredible comeback in recent years.
There are an estimated six to seven million beavers in North America today. Organizations like Beaversprite, now managed by the Utica Zoo, are crucial in protecting these “ecosystem engineers” and their habitats.
Samson and Delilah died naturally 24 years after arriving at the Richards’ cottage—twice as old as any previous estimates of beaver longevity. Before Beaversprite, “no one, anywhere, even in a zoo, had kept a captive beaver alive for twelve years.”
And as we celebrate International Beaver Day, we remember Dorothy, the Beaver Woman, whose love for these creatures has left an enduring legacy.
This Week’s Inspiration: Immerse Into Beaverdome
Now, it’s your turn to experience beavers’ ingenuity! Immerse yourself in the beaver world in this engaging and relaxing interactive from the High Desert Museum in Bend, OR. View a riparian habitat from a stream without beavers and watch it transform into a thriving, lush spot teeming with wildlife. Be sure to have the sound on!
Have you ever seen a beaver in the wild? If so, what was your experience like? I would love to know.
We must learn to think small. Man can fit himself in. —Dorothy Richards
Wonderful story! The interactive link was very well done. I clicked every button.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and the fun interactive pond. Thank you❤️