Castorology

When my librarian-in-training son recommended the Ologies podcast, I knew it would be good. After all, I've enjoyed countless hours of NPAD, all starting with his recommendation of the Cuyahoga Falls episode.

Host Alie Ward identifies -- or creates -- the formal name for any area of study about which she is curious and then finds a top (or in many cases the top) expert in that field. The core of each episode is an interview with that expert -- an interview that takes place only after she has done considerable research. This is then augmented by quick asides that she sprinkles throughout the interview and trove of related links on the Ologies web site. 

I cannot remember which was the first Ology episode I heard, though it was probably Pomology (I'll pause while you go have fun with that if you like). The most recent, however, is the title of this post: Castorology, the study of beavers. Yes: beavers, not vegetable oil. 

Pointing my readers (including my Land Protection students) to Ward's interview with naturalist (and castorologist) Rob Rich is the main purpose of this post. As always, she really has identified the perfect interlocutor for this discussion. The discussion ranges widely over the natural history and anatomy of the animal itself to the uses of its fur, tail, and glands to its complicated role in hydrology and landscape ecology. Those little critters get a lot done!

By happy coincidence, while I was still thinking about sharing this episode, BBC decided to rebroadcast a shorter piece featuring beavers, an August 2024 episode of Inside Science entitled Beavers of London. This episode features the 2023 introduction of beavers to Ealing Park in London, where beavers have long been absent. The discussion then turns to a broader discussion of reintroducing species that have disappeared from human-dominated landscapes, in which the organization Rewild My Street is recommended. My understanding of this story was greatly improved by having heard the castorology episode. 

Photo: from my July 2024 Dam Mammals post on this very blog,
in which I comment on two beaver ponds I have visited recently.

Lagniappe: 

The Coffee Maven recommends the Coffeeology episode, in which Ward interviews one of the first coffee experts I met, Peter Giuliano. Not only did I meet him in the coffeelands of Matagalpa, but I also first heard of his company from one of the first coffee farmers I ever met. He has also been featured in a couple of the films I show my classes. So pour a cup of free-range coffee and be prepared to percolate some knowledge!