Build The Era is honored to host a conversation with independent conservation journalist Ben Goldfarb.

His first book, Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter, explored the consequences of eradicating beavers from North America. The results were profound: streams eroded, wetlands dried up, and species were lost. Using history and humor, he showed the important role beavers can have on our natural infrastructure.

Goldfarb's new book, Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet, is a witty account of the global ecological transformations wrought by roads. He discussed bridges being built for mountain lions, tunnels for toads.

The New York Times Book Review said of this book “Fascinating and compassionate…[Goldfarb] does an admirable job of detailing the ways that highways and freeways divide our cities along racial lines…It’s rare for a work so focused on wildlife conservation to also treat race.”

In addition to discussing his findings, we will also review how USDOT's Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program can help.