A Closer Look at "A Reverence for Rivers" with Author Kurt Fausch
Kurt D. Fausch is professor emeritus in the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology at Colorado State University. He has received lifetime achievement awards from the American Fisheries Society and World Council of Fisheries Societies, and the Leopold Conservation Award from Fly Fishers International. His book For the Love of Rivers: A Scientist’s Journey is a winner of the Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award.
A Reverence for Rivers reflects your work, passion, and commitment to the flowing waterways found throughout the world. It also highlights the intrinsic value rivers have on our well-being and communities. Anglers, ecologists, conservationists, scientists, and river enthusiasts will be drawn to this work. What points and themes will be of specific interest to each of these groups and what do you hope the book offers them as they work and admire running waters going forward?
I hope this book will be of interest to a broad range of river enthusiasts of all kinds, from anglers and those who raft or paddle rivers to scientists and conservationists whose life work is understanding and restoring rivers.
Many anglers have a growing appreciation for how rivers work and become passionate about using their voices to conserve the rivers and fish that they love to catch and admire. This book gives a unique perspective on the threats that rivers face, in North America and around the world, and the ethical quandaries that every river faces. My hope is that I have created an open door through which anglers and others who are not scientists can access the knowledge scientists have discovered about how rivers work, what fish need, and what elements of rivers are critical to conserve.
Conservationists and scientists are well acquainted with the science of how rivers work but will find the value in new perspectives on human values surrounding rivers, and especially Indigenous perspectives on the meaning of rivers. Blending Indigenous worldviews, knowledge from our progenitors like Aldo and Luna Leopold, and this western science in a “two-eyed seeing” approach is what will be needed to engender an ethic among thinking communities.
From seven engaging essays about rivers I came to know well to three chapters that address broader topics such as our right to take water from rivers, I hope that this book gives groups interested in conserving rivers a place to start in developing the support needed to bring healthy rivers along with us into our future.
“I have interacted with people from many walks of life about running waters and their value. I have spoken with many about my conviction that humans need much more from rivers than simply water to drink and to grow crops, and fish to catch and eat. Rivers are gifts to us as humans. Along with many tangible benefits they offer, simply being near them can buoy the human spirit and provide solace to ease the grief and trauma that haunt each of our souls. But running waters are under intense pressure as we negotiate a changing climate that is demanding more from rivers than ever before, especially in arid climates like the western US where I live. In further pondering, I realized that we will need an ethic for rivers if we hope to conserve them to provide for all our needs, ranging from utilitarian to spiritual. In short, we will need to understand our relationship with rivers and learn how to offer them love and respect.” —from the Preface
A Reverence for Rivers: Imagining an Ethic for Running Waters is now available to order.
This post was originally featured on the Oregon State University Press website.